Growth strengthening, says upbeat Brown

Economic growth in Britain is "strengthening," Chancellor Gordon Brown told the Commons today.In an upbeat Pre-Budget report to MPs, Mr Brown said the British economy had "uniquely grown uninterrupted, free of recession, in every single quarter in every single year since 1997."

To Labour cheers, he added: "Now is the time for this stable and growing economy to seize the opportunities of the emerging world recovery."

He warned, however, that further "tough choices" had to be made to lock in the country's "hard won stability".

Mr Brown announced a £1 billion investment in Britain's children which he said would ensure "not just some, but all of Britain's children had the best possible start in life".

Growth this year was expected to be 2.1% "meeting our budget forecast," he said.