Taken together these measures mean that, even at a time when we need to take difficult decisions, are investing a further £765 million next year and then a further £950 million the following year to take 250,000 more children out of poverty.

Today I am publishing analysis on what further steps we intend to take to eradicate child poverty.

And I believe further action is now needed to help vulnerable groups deal with rising energy prices.

We want to see the 5 million customers on prepayment meters given a fairer deal and energy companies to increase their support to vulnerable customers.

We will work with the companies to take further action on a voluntary and statutory basis - to underpin this as necessary we will legislate.

Energy companies currently spend around £50 million a year on social tariffs. I want to see this rising to at least £150 million a year over the period ahead.

Mr Deputy Speaker, the Government is committed to encouraging more people to save.

There are now over 17 million people with individual savings accounts and, from this April, we are increasing the annual Individual Savings Accounts investment limit to £7,200 with the amount that can be held in cash rising to £3,600.

And parents have now opened over 2.4 million Child Trust Fund accounts saving more for their children’s future.

We must go further.

So I can also announce that the Government will launch the Saving Gateway nationally with the first accounts available to savers from 2010. By contributing to these accounts we will offer incentives to save to up to 8 million people on lower incomes.

Ending child poverty, encouraging saving, raising ambition and providing greater opportunity.

Mr Deputy Speaker, for business, my Budget provides continuing stability and certainty and introduces new opportunities for entrepreneurs – the three critical factors contributing to the strength of the UK’s business environment.

Ensuring that the UK remains one of the best places in the world to do business, we will continue to promote open and competitive markets – including by removing barriers to trade across the world through bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations including the conclusion of the Doha development agenda.

Mr Deputy Speaker, our goal is, and will continue to be, to maintain the most competitive corporation tax rate of any major economy. We have the lowest corporation tax rate in the G7.

A competitive and simplified tax regime is essential.

That is why we cut the main rate of corporation tax in 1997 and again in 1999.

And from next month the main corporation tax rate falls again from 30 per cent to 28 per cent.

Mr Deputy Speaker, the UK is one of the best places in the world to do business. We are committed to consultation with business to maintain a stable business tax system that remains responsive to business’ needs and internationally competitive.

Underlining our commitment to maximising the economic recovery of the UK's oil and gas reserves, I can also confirm reforms to the North Sea fiscal regime to help incentivise investment and support production.

But today I also want to do more to support Small and Medium Enterprises now and in the longer term.

13 million people work in Small and Medium Enterprises. And there are over 750,000 more firms than in 1997.