CHANCELLOR Gordon Brown's tenth budget was given a mixed reception by York and North Yorkshire politicians.

York Labour MP Hugh Bayley praised measures to deal with the environment and donations at the age of seven for child trust funds but, in the city, deputy council leader Andrew Waller said he would have liked to have seen "greater emphasis on green taxes" in the budget.

Selby MP John Grogan welcomed moves which he said could have positive implications for Kellingley, the region's only remaining coal mine.

But Anne McIntosh, Conservative MP for the Vale of York, said the budget was "thin" and a "disappointment".

Mr Bayley said: "It's a very strong budget. It's strong on the environment with new measures to cut down greenhouse gases in the UK and internationally.

"It is strong on jobs and skills for the future of economic growth - bringing jobs to York.

"It will give local people the training to do the new jobs in the knowledge economy.

"I am very keen on the measures for child trust funds, because they mean that children from the poorest families have a nest egg and it encourages families to save for their children's future.

"It is a good budget for the environment and good for the economic fundamentals which create jobs and pay for public services.

"I am pleased particularly to see the measures on national off-peak travel for pensioners."

Mr Grogan said the budget had "cheered us all on the Labour back benches following a difficult week". "The effect of a national bus pass will be very welcome for many pensioners as is the extra money for schools.

"There are many successful schools in my constituency and this will ease the financial pressure on them," he said.

"The commercial use of carbon storage bodes well for what remains of the Yorkshire coal industry."

Miss McIntosh said: "It was pretty thin.

"One of the big issues is the deficit for Selby and York Primary Care Trust, but there was no mention of health at all.

"That was rather surprising.

"Our figures show that we are much more heavily in debt than what Mr Brown is saying and growth is much smaller than the US or Canada.

"That must be a disappointment to him.

"This is generally disappointing and it is the failure to give anything to the NHS that will really upset people."

Coun Waller said: "Taxes have increased year-on-year but now York's hospital and health trust are having to make cuts in services due to their debt problems.

"At the same time, businesses are having to spend more and more time on bureaucracy," he said.

"I would have liked to see greater emphasis on green taxes in this budget."

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Phil Willis said residents in the county would be asking "where has all the money gone" when they looked at the budget.

"The contrast between the principled approach of the Liberal Democrats under Sir Menzies Campbell and the Conservatives could not be greater," he said.

"Liberal Democrats want an economy that is stable and well-managed and based on fairer, not higher, taxes and honest choices."

Updated: 10:55 Thursday, March 23, 2006