00:01Official figures show the public finances recorded a surplus of £30.4 billion in January.
00:09The Office for National Statistics says that's the highest January surplus since monthly records began in 1993.
00:15The figures higher than forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility and Economists.
00:21The improvement was reportedly driven by strong self-assessment and capital gains tax receipts.
00:27Capital gains tax brought in £17 billion, significantly more than a year earlier.
00:34The Chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing her spring statement,
00:37with economists saying the latest figures provide a stronger starting point for the public finances.
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