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blown confirms road funding
Page 7
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Chancellor Gordon Brown has dined to name a date for his predget statement, suggesting that he is aiting the outcome of events in ;hanistan before revealing what plans has forfuel duty and othertaxes. It was hoped that he might reveal the date of this year's speech when he spoke at the Confederation of British Industry's annual conference earlier this week.
Instead he chose to try to persuade the business leaders present that all was well, and that he remains 'cautiously optimistic" about the future.
Brown confirmed that the government would not pull back from public spending plans. He promised help for manufacturing but made no mention of any plans to increase revenue.
He did confirm that the government would honour its £180bn, ten-year plan to modernise the transport infrastructure and promised to support entrepreneurship by reducing corporation tax for small firms and cutting to 10% from the capital gains tax on assets held for more than two years.
Many commentators are already claiming that gaps in the Treasury coffers brought about by the war and the foot-and-mouth outbreak will have to be made up by increased taxes— hauliers, in particular, are keen to hear what plans Brown has for fuel duty.