Search: Budget George Osborne tax
Chancellor George Osborne has given a helping hand to motorists and the lower paid in a budget he said would boost "growth and jobs".
To placate drivers facing record pump prices he cut the price of fuel by 1p per litre from 6pm and announced a Fair Fuel Stabiliser to help keep costs down in future - to be funded by an increased levy on oil and gas production.
He also confirmed plans to raise the personal tax allowance by a further £630, to £8,105, a real increase of £48 extra per year, or £126 in cash terms.
And he claimed that together with this year's rise, it would mean a total of £326 extra money each year for "those working hard to pay for their family's needs".
The Chancellor's Fair Fuel Stabiliser means the inflation rise in duty planned for next week will be delayed until next year, while the April 2012 inflation rise will also be put back until the following summer.
The cuts will be financed from the £2 billion in increased revenues expected to roll in over the next five years from North Sea oil and gas companies as a result of record energy prices.
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Mr Osborne said tobacco duty rates would increase by 2% above inflation, as previously announced, but he also pledged to reform the tobacco duty regime to narrow differentials between the lower-cost brands and the others.
There was no relief for hard-pressed publicans but the Chancellor said there would be no new changes to alcohol duty beyond those already announced.
There was a glimmer of good news for holidaymakers with confirmation that this year's planned rise in Air Passenger Duty had been postponed for one year, and expected plans for a so-called Learjet Tax on private aircraft were also confirmed.
But he announced a cut in growth forecasts amid continuing bad economic news.
