Budget 2008 - live
Planned 2p increase in petrol duty postponed until October, cigarettes up by 11p for 20, pint of beer to go up by 4p.
All the news from Alistair Darling's first budget – as it happens.
13.21: Mr Darling sits down.
13.20: Winter fuel payments to be increased for pensioners.
13.18: Beer up 4p a pint, cider 3p a litre, wine 14p a bottle and spirits by 55p a bottle.
13.17: 11p on a packet of 20 cigarettes, 4p on five cigars.
13.16: From 2009 major reform of Car Tax to encourage drivers to choose less-polluting vehicles.
13.14:To introduce legislation in 2009 on plastic bag charging if insufficient voluntary measures have not been taken.
13.12: First Carbon Budget will be presented alongside next year's Budget.
13.10 Have indentified land for the building of an extra 70,000 houses on top of the 40,000 already planned.
13.09: Chancellor wants more long-term fixed rate mortgages and is seeking views.
13.07: No stamp duty on shared ownership until 80 per cent of theequity is owned.
13.06: New funding to develop technology for a national road pricing scheme.
13.04: New measures at airports to speed up immigration procedures.
13.03: Targeted investment in under-performing schools.
13.01: £30,000 charge for non-doms from April.
12.59: Increased tax relief for investment in small businesses.
12.57: Corporation Tax confirmed at 28p from April but there will be changes to Capital Gains Tax.
12.55: Cash ISA limit confirmed at £3,600 from April.
12.54: Chancellor wants lower tariffs for pre-paid meters.
12.52: Changes to Housing and Council tax rules by October 2009 to ensure going out to work is better than being on benefits.
12.50: Remains committed to public spending with growth targeted at 1.9 per cent.
12.49: New proposals to ensure that going to work pays.
12.47: Pays tribute to armed forces.
12.45: Remaining committed to investment in public service.
12.43: Public borrowing scheduled to fall to 1.6 per cent by 2014.
12.41: Fuel duty up 0.5p a litre from 2010. Current planned increase postponed until October.
12.40: Mr Darling confirms policy on maintaining tough fiscal rules.
12.38: No return to inflation of 1990s but inflation forecast to return to target of 2 per cent in 2009.
12.36: British economy grew by 3 per cent last year. Projected to grow by between 1.75- 2.25 per cent this year.
12.35: British economy now the strongest in the G7, thanks to changes made since 1997. Well equipped to meet challenges of global change.
12.34: All economies under pressure from problems that started in American mortgage market.
12.32: British economy will grow through this year and beyond. Still committed to ending child poverty. Looking to build a fairer society.
12.31: Britain better placed than other economies to cope with global slowdown.
12.30: The Chancellor, wearing a white shirt and purple/lilac tie rises to the dispatch box to deliver his first budget.
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