The two big spending targets are social services, like welfare and Medicaid, and aid to local school districts.

Mr Lamont has stuck to his public spending target of £244.5 billion but he should have increased that.

Mr. Bush never specified what military programs would be cut to meet his military spending target.

Beyond that, no details were offered about how the spending target could be hit.

They say that Congress will balk at the idea of a spending target.

The approach to overall spending targets would be only advisory, he added.

Here are the spending targets for the broad categories and some of the budget committee's recommendations.

Compliance with the spending targets would be voluntary at first.

The implementation of the 1997 budget is very high and the available information from Member States indicates ambitious spending targets for 1998.

I do not think that there is any danger that the spending target for this year will not be met.