• Air travel duty to double

  From February next year, taxes on air travel will double in a move to combat climate change. The basic levy will rise to £10 on short haul flights and £40 on long haul flights. The Chancellor said the extra revenue would be used to fund public transport and the environment.

• 1.25p on litre of petrol

  Taxes on petrol and diesel will rise by 1.25p a litre from midnight. The government had postponed an earlier increase scheduled for September. Petrol duty currently raises about £24 billion a year. The Chancellor said he would not restore the fuel tax escalator.

  Mothers-to-be will receive child benefit payments from before their baby is born. From 2009, expectant mothers can receive this payment from the 29th week of pregnancy. Mr Brown confirmed that the child element of the tax credits will rise in line with earnings next year, giving families who qualify for the payment £1,845 a year, up by £80.

• Education - capital expenditure "the priority"

  The Chancellor said capital investment in education will be £8.3 billion next year. A proposed "earn to learn" programme will allow people to gain graduate qualifications while working. New "summer universities", work experience and coaching will be established to encourage post-16 education. The Government will also consider bursaries worth £2,000 to encourage children in care to go to university.

• Asset sales to raise £30bn

  The Chancellor said share sales including Westinghouse and other assets will raise an additional £7 billion over the next two years. Over the economic cycle, the Chancellor will raise an additional £30 billion from land and building sales.

• £2bn security budget for 2007-08

  Mr Brown confirmed that to fund operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and other international obligations, the Secretary of Defence has been allocated an additional £600 million.

• Isa allowances to be made permanent

  Individual Savings Accounts (Isas) will become a permanent feature of the savings market but the investment limits will not increase from £7,000 for equities and £3,000 for cash. Investors in Personal Equity Plans will have a 20 per cent tax imposed on any interest they earn on cash when they are compulsorily converted into Isas. Interest on cash held in a stocks and shares Isa will still be subjected to a withholding tax. Within Isas, cash will be convertible into stocks and share but not vice versa. The Chancellor gave no date for the reforms, implementation of which is still open for consultation.

• Carbon zero homes to be exempt from stamp duty

  From next year, for a limited period, homebuyers purchasing a new-build home which is ‘zero-carbon’ - so it meets the highest standard for energy efficiency - will not have to pay stamp duty. In addition, Mr Brown said that from next year homeowners who generate their own power and sell it back to the National Grid will not have to pay income tax on the money they make.

• Crackdown on copyright offenders

  The Chancellor pledged his support for the Gowers review, which recommended several measures to tighten Intellectual Property and copyright rules in the UK. Not only will the patent office and the UK's IP office be restructured to offer more support to businesses who want to protect their products and ideas, but there is a possibility that those who break copyright law could be sued for civil damages. In addition, the legal system for prosecuting those who offend will be made cheaper and easier.

• 300,000 homes to get help with insulation

  The Chancellor said the Government would continue to support the Warm Homes programme to help combat fuel poverty. Under the scheme, pensioners and other vulnerable groups can apply for grants of £300 to £4,000 for insulation and central heating. Mr brown said this should help insulate a further 300,000 homes.

• New film tax break

  Mr Brown confirmed a new set of tax breaks, outlined in his March budget for production companies making films in Britain, will come into effect at the start of 2007. Production houses spending 25 per cent of a film’s budget in the UK will qualify.

• 2006 growth expected at 2.75%. 2007 forecast at 2.75%-3.25%

  Resilient consumer demand and strong global growth has helped the economy to perform better than expected this year. In March, the Chancellor predicted the economy would grow by 2.0 to 2.5 per cent this year. Today he increased his forecast to 2.75 per cent. The Chancellor expects the economy to grow by 2.75 to 3.25 per cent next year, unchanged from his previous estimate.

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