At-a-glance: The Budget

Key points from Gordon Brown's eighth Budget, which was delivered in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

Taxes and duties

• Tax rates will be frozen on: corporation tax, capital gains tax, air passenger duties, vehicle excise duty.

• Stamp duty also frozen.

• Betting duties also remain unchanged, but there will be a review of the tax treatment of betting exchanges.

• Inheritance tax rates are frozen, with the starting point for the tax raised to £263,000.

• Tax relief for small-budget British films will be transferred directly to the filmmakers to avoid third parties wrongly taking advantage of the measure.

• Duty on pint of beer raised by 1p, and by 4p on wine, but frozen on spirits, cider and sparkling wine.

• Tax on cigarettes up in line with inflation - 8p a packet.

• Accountancy firms will have to register tax avoidance schemes with the Inland Revenue.

Council tax help

• Pensioners aged 70 and over to get an extra £100 this year to help with their problems paying rising council tax bills.

Economic outlook

• The chancellor opened his speech saying: "The purpose of this Budget is to lock in for Great Britain the economic stability that can and will endure."

• The British economy grew by 2.3% in 2003, meeting Treasury forecasts.

• The growth forecast remains at 3-3.5% for 2004 and 2005 and at 2.5-3% for 2006.

• Claimant count unemployment was now at 2.9% on Wednesday's new figures - the lowest since 1973.

• Manufacturing output is expected to grow by just under 2% this year and over 2% next year.

Housing

• The deputy prime minister will consult on how to increase the supply and affordability of housing after Wednesday's Barker Review on homes' shortages.

Euro

• The Treasury will review progress on joining the euro in the next Budget, but not now.

Borrowing

• The government's fiscal rules have been met at every stage of the economic cycle, said Mr Brown.

• The "golden rule" on balancing the books over the economic cycle will be met with a £11bn surplus.

• The public sector borrowing for 2003/4 will be £37.5bn, falling to £23 billion by 2009.

Cutting bureaucracy

• 20,000 civil servants to be moved out of Whitehall to the regions.

• Department of Work and Pensions to lose more 30,000 staff over four years, with its Budget cut by more than 5% by 2008.

• Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue to be merged.

• All departments will cut back room administration budgets by at least 5% by 2008.

Public spending

• In 2006-07 and 2007-08, current spending will rise by 2.5%, with the money allocated in this summer's spending review.

• Mr Brown said he had already rejected calls to freeze the defence, Home Office and transport budgets. Both defence and transport would get real terms increases, he said.

• UK-wide funding on education will rise to £77bn by 2007/8, up from £59bn this year. Spending per pupil in England rises by £1,000 to £5,500.