Budget 2015: Voters to 'see benefits' of Osborne's plans

George Osborne presented the first fully Conservative Budget since 1996 on Wednesday

People will "start to see the benefit" from tough decisions taken in Wednesday's Budget, according to Wales Office Minister Alun Cairns.

George Osborne's Budget has been criticised for cutting benefits, with Finance Minister Jane Hutt calling it an "assault" on younger people.

But Mr Cairns said tough choices were made "in the interests of the country".

MPs have been debating the Budget in the Commons on Thursday.

Mr Cairns told BBC Radio Wales the UK government was "determined to ensure those who work hard, those who play by the system, start to benefit now because it's been so tough over some recent years".

"We took some difficult decisions over the last five years - they weren't all popular," he said.

"But at the election I think people recognised that they were in the interests of the country.

"Further difficult decisions were taken yesterday, but people will start to see the benefit."

Alun Cairns said the Budget was 'about entrenching the growth we've managed to achieve'

Jane Hutt says the 'assault' on young people is particularly worrying

In Wednesday's Budget the chancellor stressed his commitment to a funding floor for the Welsh government's annual grant from the Treasury, more powers for Wales and road and rail improvements.

But Ms Hutt said some of his other measures would make young people suffer.

"Particularly worrying and bad is the assault on young people," she said.

"The fact that young people - 18 to 21-year-olds - who of course want to 'earn or learn' as he says, are going to have their housing benefit taken away from them or not be eligible for it automatically.

"I think young people are going to be hit hard by this Budget."

Mr Osborne also announced a compulsory living wage of £7.20 an hour from next April, rising to £9 by 2020.