North Yorkshire was today anticipating a bumper Budget for families and the poor.

But while Chancellor Gordon Brown will give with one hand in tomorrow's Budget, he is expected to take away with the other.

Political pundits believe he will stick to his pledge not to touch income tax, but it is likely that there will be big increases in petrol, cigarettes and alcohol.

The centrepiece is likely to be a working family tax credit, which will be a welcome handout to families on low incomes.

James Glover, spokesman for the Citizens' Advice Bureau in York, gave the speculation a cautious welcome. "It sounds like it is going to be good news for families in North Yorkshire that suffer on low incomes but we will have to wait for the details to find out how it will work," he said.

He also welcomed the possibility of extra cash for families to help with child care.

There is increasing pressure for a "green Budget" and the Chancellor was being warned today that tomorrow was his "last chance" to deliver a package that will help protect the environment.

Friends of the Earth said that patience is wearing thin among campaigners who want the Government to deliver on its pledges to put green issues at the heart of its policy.

Cash raised through taxes on fuels and valuable resources should pay for lower taxes on jobs, Friends of the Earth was telling a Westminster news conference.

But it also claimed that measures to encourage less waste in people's everyday lives are vital in the battle against climate change and in dealing with problems like the growing rubbish mountain, the need for more house building and energy saving.

An AA spokesman warned the Chancellor off a swingeing petrol price increase.

He said: "Increasing fuel tax is not the way to get people to think about using their cars less. It affects transport costs, and goods being moved around by road and so in effect whether people do use their cars less or not, they are going to be paying extra."

Mrs Margaret Horn, 53, and Mrs Donna Fowler, 27, both from the Hull Road area of York, said they were hoping to see a "family" Budget.

"I'd like to see more for single parents," said Mrs Horn, who looks after her grandson.

And Mrs Fowler, a mother of three who was also hoping for something for families, said she would like to see the price of cigarettes and alcohol go up, but petrol down.

"I've got a handicapped brother and I need my car to get him around," she said.

Retired civil engineer Frank Firth, 54, from Easingwold, said he had not given the Budget any thought but would like to see taxes go up and more spent on services like health and education, and more benefits for those who needed them.

But Graham Welsh, 38, from the Walmgate area of York, who works as a kitchen assistant, said he wanted to see income tax rates going down again and did not mind how much cigarettes and alcohol went up because he never touched either.

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