BURY'S two MPs have hailed Gordon Brown's Budget as "good news" for children, families and pensioners.

But the reaction from other parties was less welcoming, although local business experts have broadly welcomed the Chancellor's corporate measures.

In a joint statement, Bury North MP David Chaytor and his Bury South counterpart Ivan Lewis welcomed the fact that every household with a pensioner aged 65 and over and paying council tax, would receive a council tax refund of £200. "Together with the winter fuel payments, that means around 25,000 pensioners will receive £400 and those aged 80 or over will receive a total of £500 this year," they said. The MPs also praised the move to give pensioners free bus travel from next year.

The MPs added: "This Budget also provides more support for hard-working families in Bury. More than 15,000 families in Bury already benefit from Labour's Child Tax Credit and we are delighted that Gordon Brown has announced plans to increase it in line with earnings every year for the next three years.

"This Budget shows we are delivering on the promises we both made to the people of Bury. More jobs and improved skills, better schools and hospitals, more help for families and more help for pensioners."

But David Nuttall, the Conservatives' Parliamentary candidate for Bury North, warned that it was clear from the Budget's small print that taxes will rise if Labour wins a third term. "This is without doubt a 'vote now, pay later' Budget. The tax bribes have been paid for by increases in business taxation."

Bury councillor Vic D'Albert, Liberal Democrat prospective Parliamentary candidate for Bury South, said: "It cannot be right that the poorest 20 per cent pay a greater proportion of their income in tax than the richest 20 per cent. The Chancellor failed to mention council tax revaluation which is due to start on April 1 and will see thousands of householders throughout Bury substantially worse off."

Commenting on the £200 council tax help for pensioners, he added: "This increase will be welcomed by pensioners but it is an election bribe for one year only."

Meanwhile, business organisaton Greater Manchester Chamber has broadly welcomed the Budget as a positive step forward. Dr John Risk, principal economic adviser, said: "We are pleased that our proposals for less frequent regulatory inspections for compliant businesses have been adopted, resulting in one million fewer unnecessary' inspections."

However, Dr Risk expressed concerns over plans to extend paid maternity leave to 12 months, saying it will cause problems for smaller businesses unable to cope with prolonged staff absence.