11.   Birch said the surplus would be used to pay off government debt and increase social expenditure, with the added possibile bonus of tax cuts.

12.   Modise, whose department is often regarded by ministries in charge of social expenditure as a target for enormous cuts, said he was dissatisfied with his budget allocation.

13.   The premier appeared to have respected a promise to reduce the budget deficit without creating new taxes by cutting deeply into social expenditure.