ALISTAIR DARLING put the boot into booze, gas guzzlers and smokers today as he unveiled his first Budget.

He put up alcohol duties by 6% above inflation from midnight on Sunday. The move puts 4p on a pint of beer, 55p on a bottle of spirits - and 14p on a bottle of wine.

The Chancellor said alcohol duties would increase by 2% above the rate of inflation in each of the next four years.

BUDGET AT A GLANCE: ALCOHOL: Beer up 4p a pint, wine up 14p a bottle, spirits up 55p a bottle. Rises above inflation for four years. ROAD TAX: Major green reforms. Cleanest new cars pay nothing in first year from 2010. FUEL DUTY: 0.5p rise per litre in real terms from 2010. Rise scheduled for April put back to October. TOBACCO: 11p rise in price of a packet of 20 cigarettes and 4p on five cigars from today. CHILD BENEFIT: From April 2009, rate for first child to rise to £20 a week. TAX CREDITS: Child element of child tax credit up £50 a year above inflation. Working family with one child to gain up to £17 a week. PLASTIC BAGS: Legislation to come into force in 2009 to impose a charge on single-use carrier bags if progress is not made on a voluntary basis. STAMP DUTY: From today, stamp duty on shared-ownership homes will not be required until buyers own 80% of the equity in their home. PENSIONERS: Winter fuel payment to increase from £200 to £250 for over-60s and from £300 to £400 for over-80s. SAVINGS: Annual ISA investment limit to increase to £7,200 from next month, with the amount held in cash rising to £3,600. INCOME TAX: No change to measures announced in 2007. 20p basic rate to be introduced in April.

Mr Darling also set out plans to overhaul the vehicle excise duty system and introduce a new "showroom tax" to hit the drivers of the most polluting vehicles.

He offered some respite to motorists today by postponing April's scheduled 2p-a-litre rise in fuel duty until October.

But he added fuel duty would increase by 0.5p a litre in real terms from 2010.

And in a further bid to boost his Green credentials, he warned that he would legislate next year to impose a charge on disposable plastic bags unless the retailers took action to curb their use.

He also chose today - No Smoking Day - to put 11p on a packet of 20 cigarettes from 6pm, and 4p on the price of five cigars.

The Chancellor said his "responsible" measures would enable him to take further measures to cut child poverty.

Mr Darling also told MPs his Budget would help tackle climate change and help hard-working families.

He said: "The core purpose of this Budget is stability - now and in the future.

"And its core values are fairness and opportunity."

Mr Darling promised an increase in child benefit for the first child to £20 a week from April 2009 - a year earlier than planned. He also promised to increase by £50 a year above inflation the child element of the Child Tax Credit for families on low and middle incomes from April next year.

"This means that a family with two children, earning up to £28,000 a year, will be over £130 a year better off," he said.

Other key changes in the Budget, included: PENSIONS: The winter fuel payment for over-60s up £50 and for over-80s up £100.

SCHOOLS: An extra £10 million over five years to improve science teaching. Outside contributions will bring this up to £30m.

There will also be £60m over three years to boost skills for those entering the labour market.

TRANSPORT: He plans new measures to speed up airport immigration.

Road pricing could fight congestion, so there will be new funding committed to its development.

HOUSING: There will be 70,000 new affordable homes each year. Shared equity schemes will be extended, and stamp duty scrapped until owners have 80% equity in these homes.

He's seeking more flexible mortgages, offering 10, 20 and 25 year fixed rates.

ENVIRONMENT: Urgent action is needed, with the target to reduce carbon emissions by 60% possibly extended to 80% by 2050.

There will be £26m next year to help homes cut their carbon footprint, and new non-domestic buildings should be zero carbon by 2019.

The expansion of Stansted and Heathrow airports is being supported by the Government.

And road tax should support lower emission cars. From 2009 there will be new bands for the most polluting cars.

From 2010, lowest emission cars will pay no tax in first year.

BUSINESS: The Chancellor pledged more help for small businesses, with capital gains tax remaining at 10%.

He plans an extra £60m for the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme, which will be extended to all small companies.

And there's a new target of 30% of Government contracts for small firms.

Despite his pledges, the Chancellor was forced to slash his forecasts for economic growth and announce a big increase in Government borrowing.

However, he insisted he would still meet the "golden rule" of only borrowing to invest and delivering balanced budgets over the course of the economic cycle.

Mr Darling finished his speech at 1.21pm - after just 50 minutes.

Conservative leader David Cameron told the House of Commons: "The Chancellor and the Prime Minister live in an entirely different world from everybody else. The cost of living is going up and Labour is making it worse."