The recent Budget announcement by Chancellor George Osbourne "offers no comfort" to workers who are struggling financially, according to union UCATT.

In his eighth Budget, Mr Osbourne pledged Government investment in a swathe of major infrastructure projects, including Crossrail and HS3.

However, Acting General Secretary of UCATT, Brian Rye, said that while the Chancellor claims he wants to reward workers, there was nothing in his budget to solve the housing crisis.

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"This is the first Government for over 40 years not to invest any capital in new social housing," he said.

"A programme of social house building would be good for families, good for construction workers and good for the country - but as it is not good for millionaires it is not even considered.

"The Chancellor is once again slashing spending which will further shred the fabric of society and means that the services workers and their families rely upon and which make life worthwhile for many, face further cuts.

"The high profile infrastructure projects flagged up before and during the budget are all jam tomorrow. The Conservative's failure to manage investment in infrastructure has meant growth in the construction industry is increasingly unbalanced, with some areas booming while others are starved of funding and projects."

(LM)