Scottish First Minister Henry McLeish: "The measures announced today do much to bring fairness to families. They also set out positive steps to help motorists and hauliers - and in particular they provide a good deal extra for Scotland's pensioners."

Scottish Secretary Dr John Reid: "Thanks to this government's prudent handling of the economy extra funding can go to where it is needed most - to help pensioners, families, businesses, and regenerate our inner cities."

Former Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond: "He has reversed his wrong-headed policies of previous years and showed there was room within the public finances to make concessions on both fuel taxes and pensions. The SNP were right to argue for these measures."

Scottish Conservative leader David McLetchie: "Gordon Brown is trying to put right his own mistakes, but pensioners and motorists won't forgive him. He is giving people back a bit of their own money, but he has plans to take it away again in the next parliament."

Scottish Liberal Democrats convener Michael Moore: "Pensioners need long term investment in better pensions, not just a pre-General Election boom after four years of Labour bust and 28 years of Conservative cuts."

Scottish Green Party MSP Robin Harper: "What Gordon Brown has done in effect is to capitulate to the road hauliers and partially capitulate to the roads lobby. This is not the leadership we need in a country where flooding is yet to recede."

Friends of the Earth Scotland director Kevin Dunion: "The government must now draw a line under any future concessions. Those who were intending to take to streets next week no longer have any justification to do so and should call off their protests."

Road Haulage Association Scottish director Phil Flanders: "We want to compete on a level playing field and we still don't have that, although it's not so tilted now."

National Farmers Union Scotland president Jim Walker: "We see this as very much a step in the right direction, but there is much more still to be done if rural areas are to be a full part of the Government's policy of social inclusion."

Highlands and Islands fuel action group chairman Councillor Alison Magee: "We will still be paying far more for fuel and doing greater mileages in the remoter parts of the Highlands and Islands."

AA Scottish head of policy Neil Greig: "The key question is whether the oil industry will deliver on the timetable and to the price that the chancellor has promised."

RAC Foundation head of campaigns Sue Nicholson: The chancellor had a balancing act to perform and the duty costs for low sulphur petrol and diesel are most welcome. He is, however, walking a tightrope as world prices could still knock him off."

Help the Aged Scottish executive Liz Duncan: "Pensioners will be reassured by the pension increase promised for next April, but not satisfied."

Age Concern Scotland director Maureen O'Neill: "Until the chancellor finds a simple way of getting help to those who are not claiming the minimum income guarantee he will not fulfil his stated aim of ending pensioner poverty."

Scottish Pensioners' Forum chairwoman Phyllis Herriot: "We are still disappointed that he has not managed to go all the way and give a real increase to all pensioners and restore the link to earnings which we have been asking for so many years."