The public finances were transformed in the second half of the 1990s as the economy recovered from recession, a range of fiscal measures were implemented and there was unexpected buoyancy in revenues from existing taxes. The budget surplus that this produced looks set to continue for a number of years, provided that the economy does not suffer any major unfavourable shocks. Indeed, the underlying budgetary position is sufficiently strong that it would take a serious adverse macroeconomic shock to raise the deficit to threatening levels.