As Budget fever hots up, the CBI has today warned the chancellor to look to economic growth rather than higher taxes to boost public sector investment.

CBI chief Digby Jones told Gordon Brown that imposing higher taxes to fund the NHS on business would be a "bitter blow" for struggling firms.

Forum Response: Royal College of Nursing

Dr Beverley Malone, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, told ePolitix.com: "The NHS requires modernisation in order to deliver high quality services and care.

"Modernisation will lead to the changes required to achieve a better health service but modernisation will cost money to continue developing more efficient services and to reward the staff - particularly nurses - without whom we simply cannot deliver health in this country."

Forum Response: Unison

Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, told ePolitix.com: "If workers are to be asked to pay more tax and national insurance to fund a programme for world class public services, then business should pay theirshare too."

"Businesses benefit from public services like education, health and transport. I would like to see Corporation Tax increase from 30p to 33p on annual profits over £1.5 million.

"The CBI should remember that in European terms the typical British company is very lightly taxed, and in American terms an efficent tax funded NHS means they do not get burdened with health insurance bureacracy."