Budget speech set for 17 April
Chancellor Gordon Brown will make his Budget speech to the House of Commons on Wednesday 17 April.
Brown made the announcement to MPs in Commons today, setting one of the latest dates in the year for delivering the government’s fiscal plans and economic predictions.
Last year’s Budget was delivered on 7 March while the 2000 speech was heard on 21 March.
Recent comments doing the rounds in the press indicate that the speech is likely to include a hike in taxation to pay for greater public spending on hospitals, schools and the railways.
The Budget will also spell out the broad strategy for government spending over the next three years.