Budget 2017: Updates and analysis
The Chancellor has announced £2 billion will be spent on social care in England over the next three years in his first ever Budget.
Philip Hammond said an extra £100 million would be allocated for GPs to work in A&E departments to help cut waiting times as he delcared the Tories the "party of the NHS".
But he was accused of breaking a key Tory manifesto pledge when he announced National Insurance contributions for the self-employed were to rise.
Labour's Jeremy Corbyn said the Chancellor had produced a "Budget of utter complacency" which ignored the state of the economy, public services and the lives of millions of people.
Other key points from the Budget included:
- Most pubs are to be given a £1,000 discount on business rates as part of a £435 million package aimed to ease the burden on small businesses
- National Insurance contributions paid by self-employed to increase by 1% to 10% in 2018 and 11% by 2019
- A clampdown worth £820 million on tax avoidance, including action to stop businesses converting capital losses into trading losses
- Councils to be given a £300 million "discretionary relief" fund to give to hard-pressed firms in their areas
- £5 million "returnship" fund to enable people to go back to work after a career break
- Free childcare for three and four-year-olds doubled to 30 hours a week
