Simon Burton Director of Specialist Tax at Johnston Carmichael

There was a strong focus on economic stability, says Simon

Gordon Brown's speech was notable for announcing few detailed tax changes whilst concentrating on the bigger, political picture.

Watching the chancellor deliver his speech, you could be forgiven for assuming he was already chief executive of UK plc.

The repeated focus on investment and education cut across all other Whitehall departments.

Those of us who spend our time advising on tax looked in vain for signs of yesteryear, when chancellors announced detailed changes to the tax system.

Instead, we were reminded of the recent stability of the economy and the importance of sustainable investment.

Although Vehicle Excise Duty will rise to �210 a year for the most heavily polluting cars, a new zero rate of duty will apply to environmentally-friendly vehicles In quotes: Budget reaction

New initiatives in education and science were matched with extra money, using a public-private partnership model, for sport.

In recent years, technical changes to taxes and VAT tend to be announced by HM Revenue & Customs in detailed press releases issued after the chancellor sits down.

We shall have to wait and see what is tucked away in these notices before making an overall assessment.

When taxes were mentioned, the chancellor confirmed no changes, or a modest increase in thresholds.

Speculation that inheritance tax might be scrapped proved wide of the mark. Instead, the IHT threshold will rise over the next four years to �325,000.

Although Vehicle Excise Duty will rise to �210 a year for the most heavily polluting cars, a new zero rate of duty will apply to environmentally-friendly vehicles.

Mindful of the continuing high oil price, fuel duties will as last year remain unchanged until 1 September.

The stamp duty threshold for first time buyers will increase to �125,000.

The investment limits for ISA's remain unchanged and the new Real Estate Investment Trusts, new vehicles for investment in property, will be introduced as expected.

The detail from the chancellor's Budget is yet to be seen

From a business perspective, perhaps the most pressing issue in recent times has been the burden of red tape.

This shows in many ways, not least the complexity of our tax system.

For smaller business, Gordon Brown announced a review and consultation on aligning the tax and national insurance contribution system.

Attracting business investment was a prominent theme, and business will be interested in the proposal for extra funds for manufacturing, a sector which has long argued for additional support.

For companies carrying out their own R&D, the tax credit scheme will be extended by doubling the size of the companies that can qualify under the scheme.