http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/budget_2008/article3536855.ece *Fuel benefit for the over 60s rises from £200 to £250 and for the over 80s rises to £400 *Duty on a bottle of spirit up 55p. *Duty on wine to rise by 14p a bottle, beer to rise by 4p a pint. *Packet of 20 cigarettes now 11p more expensive. *Tax will be cut for cleaner cars. *Carbon emissions from vehicles to be reduced from 130 grammes to 100 grammes by 2020 *£26 million will be committed to the Green Home Service to help cut fuel bills. *Plastic bag charges to be introduced next year. Government inquiring whether carbon target should be 80 per cent. *First carbon budget will be announced alongside the Budget next year. *Environment "We need to more and we need to do it." Government has found sites for 70,000 new homes this year. Seeking views on how long-term fixed mortgages can help first time buyers to get on the housing ladder. £8 billion in funds to be committed to new, affordable and social housing. Stamp duty on shared ownership homes will not be required until an owner owns 80 per cent of the equity. Teachers and nurses and first-time buyers can borrow money from shared equity schemes. Road pricing could reduce congestion and help environmental measures. Inviting tenders to develop road pricing technology. New measures at Heathrow and other airports to increase the use of biometric technology to speed up air travel. Extra £60 million to fill skills gaps. Government to provide extra funding for science teaching. Non-doms will not be charged on offshore income. Government to go ahead with plans to charge a levy on non-doms. Aims for small businesses to win 30 per cent of public sector business Funds for loan guarantee scheme for small businessed will be increased by £60 million. "We want to do more to support small and medium-sized enterprises." Committed maintaining the most competative comporation tax in the G7. Will reduce from 30 per cent to 28 per cent next month. Energy companies to spend £150 million a year on energy tarriffs. Government to put extra £125 million over three years to stop child poverty. From April 2009 child benefits will rise to £20 for the first child. Spending plans on public services at 1.9 per cent a year "Spending must be matched by reform." By April 2010, all long-term recipients of incapacity benefits will face work assessments. Expect to spend £2 billion more on defence including £900 million on front line troop equipment. Public spending in next three years will grow by 2.2 per cent. Debt is forecast to reach 38.5 per cent in 2008. Public sector investment will reach £33 billion next year. "We are meeting the golden fiscal rule." Borrowing in 2008 will rise to £43 billion in 2008, 2.9 per cent of national income. UK debt is now 36.6 per cent of GDP "Borrowing is much lower than it was before 1997, and so is debt." The inflation target for CPI will remain at 2 per cent UK growth forcast for 2010 will reach between 2.5 per cent and 3 per cent. In 2009, GDP will rise to between to 2.25 per cent and 2.75 per cent. UK growth forecast for 2008 is between 1.75 per cent and 2.25 per cent "Because of the actions we took last year with Northern Rock we have maintained confidence and stability in the banking system." "The economy will continue to grow this year." "Britain is better placed than other economies to withstand a slowdown in the global economy."
Nah, he's useless He'd end up wet through, so we'd have to give him a clean, dry set of clothes. Then we'd have to make his tea. It's more trouble than it's worth.
Support small businesses? They're having a laugh. Aims for small businesses to win 30 per cent of public sector business "We want to do more to support small and medium-sized enterprises." Stop introducing legislation and procedures at the Inland Revenue to give large business unfair advantages then. I actually got told by the Inland Revenue the other month that I can't negotiate a dispensation to pay a per diem to cover expenses when workign abroad as they only let big companies do that now. Big companies with accounts departments whereas the time spent as a small business where the revenue earner(s) have to handle every receipt is a large overhead and time when money isn't coming in to the company. How's that for supporting small businesses? They didn't even try and pretend it was fair.
Main points to note: Individuals earning less than £18,500 a year will pay more in tax this year due to scrapping of 10% rate. Fuel bonus increase is for this year only. Rate of inflation massively understated due to inaccurate measure. Country still in massive debt.
And only 900 million for military hardware...... That's small change considering tranch 3 of the eurofighter thats now been scrapped was going to cost 3 billion. Ah well, just have to keep fixing 30 year old aircraft instead as they fall to bits, cheers once again labour! /poo (N) (furious) (wnkr)