1.18 Chapter 3 explores the barriers to growth and employment within the business world and summarises some of the measures the Government is taking to address the problems and meet the Government's objective of raising the trend rate of growth of the British economy. In particular, it describes changes to the tax system which the Government intends to introduce in the Spring 1998 Budget to improve the environment for high-quality investment. There have been enormous changes in the labour market in recent years. With developments in new technology and global competition, modern workers need to be able to adapt to rapid change. In this new environment, there are new challenges both for government and for individuals.
Individuals have responsibilities to take advantage of the new opportunities that are available.
1.21 Chapter 4 explores these issues in more detail and puts forward some initial thoughts on how the tax and benefit systems might be reformed. The details of the new ISA will be announced in an Inland Revenue consultation paper on 2 December. 1.25 Chapter 5 also contains details of additional payments which will be made to pensioners, this year and next, to help with their winter fuel bills ahead of the conclusion of the Government's pensions review. Latest forecast 1.27 The Treasury's latest economic forecast, set out in Appendix A, shows that after growing at close to its trend rate for much of 1995 and 1996, GDP accelerated sharply in the second half of last year, and has grown at an annualised rate of around 4 per cent over the past four quarters. This is well above its sustainable rate.