Alan Campbell MP today welcomed Gordon Brown’s Budget as "good news for the pensioners and children of Tynemouth constituency".

Budget 2003 announces:

£100 extra for every household with a pensioner aged 80 or over, in addition to the £200 winter fuel payments, for the rest of this Parliament

Extending to 52 weeks the period over which all pensioners in hospital receive their full state pension

A new Child Trust Fund giving every newborn child £250 rising to £500 for the poorest, to make sure every child has money in the bank to spend at the age of 18.

Alan Campbell MP said

"This is a Labour Budget for pensioners and children giving welcome support to our oldest and most vulnerable citizens and help for the next generation of children in Tynemouth constituency.

"The new Child Trust Fund will help ensure the best start in life for all new born children on top of the support already available to families such as the record increases in child benefit since 1997, extra maternity and paternity rights and from this month the new Child Tax Credit.

"Today’s £100 extra for every household with a pension aged 80 or over gives extra to the oldest and most vulnerable pensioners adding to the help already benefiting pensions – the guaranteed pension rise, £200 Winter Fuel payment; Minimum Income Guarantee, free T.V. licences for over 75s and from the October the Pension Credit to reward pensioners who have saved for their retirement.

"This extra support for pensioners and children is only possible because of the economic stability the Labour Government has delivered. Even at a time of global uncertainty, the tough decisions Labour took on the economy over the past six years means Britain remains better placed than in the past to withstand the global economic downturn and to benefit when the world recovery begins."