Cigarettes, alcohol and gas guzzlers

RESIDENTS in Bromsgrove and South Birmingham will pay More for Cigarettes and alcohol after the Chancellor's budget announcement yesterday (Wednesday). The cost of Cigarettes has risen by 11p per packet of 20, while the cost of a bottle of wine will go up by 14p and 4p will be added to the cost of a pint of beer from midnight on Sunday (March 16). Cider will rise by 3p per litre while spirits will go up by 55p a bottle at the same time and tax on alcohol will go up by two per cent above inflation for next four years. Chancellor Alistair Darling hit drivers of so-called 'gas guzzlers' in the pocket with news of a major reform of the road tax system from next year. From 2010, the loWest-polluting new cars will pay no road tax in the first year, while higher-polluting cars will pay More - a two pence increase in fuel duty has been postponed until October this year. Pensioners will also benefit from the budget with a rise in the winter fuel allowance from ?200 to ?250 for the over 60s and from ?300 to ?400 for the over 80s. Mr Darling also pledged to tackle environmental issues with an extra ?26million to help make homes greener and he added that laws would be introduced by 2009 to tax plastic bags if shops did not do More to charge for their use. The Government will set aside ?200million nationwide for schools to raise GCSE results, while child benefit will be increased to ?20 a week from April 2009. Businesses were given a boost with a cut in corporation tax from 30 per cent to 28 per cent from next month and the promise of simpler taxes for sMall companies. An extra ?2billion will be spent on troops in the frontline, including ?900million on military equipment.