The Northern Echo Panel gives its reaction to the Chancellor's budget package

"As a family man, education and health are most important.

Providing the best possible education for our young people is vital, so I'm pleased education spending will rise from £45bn to £57.8bn by 2005-6.

My daughter is doing well at school and it's good to know that every effort is being made to build on her efforts and talents.

If the whole country is well educated, the future will be a lot brighter and I'm sure it will attract the best jobs and lively industries to the UK.

I'm pleased businesses are being encouraged to offer more training as it will boost workers' skills and opportunities.

By the end of the year I'll probably be looking for a new job. I wouldn't want to have to take a job 90 minutes drive from home because it would mean running a car or using public transport, which would cost a fortune.

What's worse is that it would mean more time away from my family. I really enjoy working locally so I can watch them grow up.

Allowing 20,000 migrants to work here seems daft. If there are that many jobs available, I'm sure people here will fill them."

THE STUDENT: Kayleigh Basey, 17, of Newton Aycliffe, is a student at Darlington's Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College and has a part-time job in the town

"Unsurprisingly, it has been a Budget dominated by huge investment in the fall-out of the war on Iraq. That is understandable, but the focus on improving the health service and education should not be lost.

As someone who has recently been through school, is currently at college and planning to go to university this year, the pledge to increase education spending by a further £12bn-plus is welcome.

But, as always, it will be a case of whether the Government can deliver on its promises. There must be clear signs in the years to come that this money is actually filtering into schools' budgets and having some effect.

The fear of massive tuition fees for university students still remains and there is nothing to ease that.

Those who are concerned they could essentially be priced out of a university education have seen little to change that worry.

The upcoming review of pay and employment needs of teenage workers is also welcome, particularly the prospect of a minimum wage for the younger workers."

THE PENSIONER: Bill Cook, 72, from Firthmoor, Darlington, receives a state pension and a £240-a-month pension from Darlington Borough Council.

"I welcome the extra £100 for winter fuel payments for those over 80 but I'd like to see it come down to 70-year-olds.

I think from the age of 70 you really need the home comforts and heating is a big outgoing.

The Government has made a step in the right direction but needs to take it further.

The abolition of hospital charges for pensioners is very good news. It was very harsh to have it in the first place. I don't care whether you are in hospital or out of hospital, you still have bills to pay.

The Pension Credit for single pensioners on less than £139 a week could affect me. But I don't think it's going to be very significant.

I stick to what I said before which was that pensioners deserve a rise way above inflation.

For the past three years the Government has been talking about pensioners and the big rises, but then doesn't seem to be doing anything about it."

THE TEACHER: Ben Sutherland, 31, is a teacher at Hurworth Comprehensive School, near Darlington, and earns in excess of £30,000.

"I AM concerned about the levels of borrowing. I knew would have to happen because of the black hole in the economy, but I do believe we should be in the euro and I do think too much borrowing will affect our participation in that.

I think the man in the street can cope with 1p on a pint of beer and wine up 4p is not too bad. I was expecting more and I think that's pretty good.

I'm really disgusted with only 8p on a packet of cigarettes. I think cigarettes should be taxed properly and we should be looking at a £5 packet. A rise of 8p is neither here nor there - it won't reduce the number of people, including children, from smoking.

The small increase in the threshold figure on inheritance tax to £255,000 is disgraceful. It takes no account whatsoever of the housing boom and I think the figure should have been about £400,000. I like the fact that stamp duty has been frozen as it should allow property prices to stabilise.

I think this has been a difficult Budget, especially because of the war, and I think Gordon Brown has done alright."

THE DOCTOR: Dr John Canning, 48, is a self-employed GP on Teesside. Family doctors earn about £60,000 a year from the NHS.

"I welcome the Chancellor's move to abolish "hotel" charges for pensioners who are in hospital. It is a problem for people who still have the expense of running a home.

However, elderly are more likely to be in a care home where pensions are taken away from them anyway.

I also think the increase in winter fuel payments for the over-eighties will help some people live more healthily.

Most doctors working in the health service will be sceptical about Mr Brown's claim that the increase in National Insurance contributions will mean there will be 25,000 more doctors and 88,000 more nurses working in the NHS by 2008. It is hardly deliverable.

I think the decision not to increase tax on spirits and cider is disappointing. It is flawed logic to do anything that makes people choose drinks with a higher alcohol content. It could be argued you are making hard drink more attractive. Similarly, I would have liked to have seen a larger tax increase on cigarettes on health grounds."

THE BUSINESSMAN: John Bowler is a director of Imex Grafix, a sign-making company in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, employing eight people. Mr Bowler, 52, is married with three children.

"WHEN Tony Blair came into power in 1997, he promised business that for every new piece of legislation introduced, Labour would make sure an old piece was removed.

Since then, about 3,000 pieces of legislation have come in under Labour, but the Prime Minister has failed to follow up on his promise and strip out unnecessary bureaucracy which stifles business growth.

Therefore, the Chancellor's announcement that he was setting up a team of experts to cut red tape will have to be seen to be believed.

I think Gordon Brown has decided that with more than 50 tax hikes since he took office, he did not want to tax us any more. He decided to borrow, gambling that the economy would grow.

In truth, much of the Budget was just window dressing.

The big issue is that we do not seem to be getting value for money from the extra taxes we are paying, In all facets of society, be that education, health or industry, everyone is contributing more to the Treasury - it is now time for the Treasury, and the Chancellor, to deliver for the country."