Budget 2004. Reactions

Resources exist to end disadvantage

NICVA welcomes the view of the Chancellor that the UK is enjoying the longest period of sustained economic growth for more than 200 years.

“This means we have the resources to tackle the social problems that affect us and do far more to help people who have missed out on the boom ,” said NICVA chief executive, Seamus McAleavey. “An unequal society is an unhealthy, fractured society and we must make sure that everyone has a stake and can play a full part in work, education, sport and all other aspects of life" .

“In Northern Ireland, we call for greater efforts to help children and adults in poverty, people living in disadvantaged communities, people living on benefits and others suffering from social exclusion ,” he added.

NICVA welcomes the promise of higher spending on education, health and other services that will help people and create the foundation for future prosperity. It agrees with Mr Brown that it is right to invest for the coming years. We suspend detailed judgment until we see the actual implications of the Budget for Northern Ireland.

Frances Dowds, Northern Ireland Anti Poverty Network . I welcome the decision to raise benefits to pensioners over the age of 70 but it would be nice to see similar money for all pensioners.

In the case of the decision to raise the inheritance tax threshold to £263,000, why are the rich being given such a high figure? It is obscene and completely unfair.

Extra spending on education and health is very welcome, but it will take some time for the implications for Northern Ireland to filter through. Extra money for Surestart is also good, but there are other ways to combat child poverty eg increases in child benefit and in the national minimum wage are very practical ways to help.

Myrtle Neill, Chest, Heart and Stroke Association . Commentators have been saying that this is a very political budget and I agree. I’m glad it hasn’t touched fuel, which would have affected our organisation.

Eight pence on a packet of cigarettes will not make any difference. Smokers will just pay up the extra money. Mr Brown should have put cigarettes up more than that.

It can only be good if more money goes on health, provided Northern Ireland gets its fair share.

The Budget also proposes to encourage more young people to volunteer. I would welcome that very much because our organisation uses a lot of volunteers.

John Woods, Friends of the Earth . The Chancellor is strong on green rhetoric but hopelessly weak on green taxes. By refusing to increase air passenger duty, vehicle tax and fuel duty he has done nothing to tackle climate change, the greatest threat to human security.

Gordon Brown’s populist budget has done nothing to sustain the planet and everything to sustain New Labour in office.

Marie Cavanagh, Gingerbread NI . This is a pretty non-committal budget but it will impact on low income families eg increased tax on cigarettes and beer. The difficulty about fuel tax is that once it goes up, everything goes up because of the higher distribution costs. That also has a greater impact on low income families.

I have my doubts about the savings from greater automation because the experience to date of new technology has been terrible. Changes in the child support system only served to delay for a year reforms that would have helped children.

Derek Alcorn, NI Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux. I welcome the continuing emphasis on building up public services.