Budget to bring additional £21m

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An additional £21m is coming to Northern Ireland, Finance Minister Peter Robinson has said.

He said that Alistair Darling's first Budget will bring the money to NI over the next three years.

Mr Robinson said the outlook for public finances was weaker than in recent years, but that some extra cash was included in the Budget.

He said that the executive would decide where the money was spent "in line with local needs and priorities".

Mr Robinson welcomed measures targeted at young families, but expressed regret that more had not been done for older people.

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"The chancellor has set out a number of measures concerning Child Benefit and the Child Tax Credit which will be of benefit to large numbers of hard pressed households in Northern Ireland," he said.

"While the measures for business and charities are also welcome, it is disappointing that the one-off benefits to the elderly, on top of the normal Winter Fuel Payments, are for 2008-09 only and I would urge the chancellor to consider extending these payments for future years."

Health Minister Michael McGimpsey welcomed the increase in duty on tobacco and alcohol.

"There has not been any significant increase in the price of alcohol since the 1990's so any measures which can cut down on excessive drinking are very helpful," he said.

The Budget saw an increase of 4p on a pint of beer, 14p on a bottle of wine and 55p on a bottle of spirits. Duty on a packet of cigarettes is up 11p.