HC Deb 30 January 1967 vol 740 cc28-30
41. Mr, St. John-Stevas

asked the Minister of Social Security what plans she now has for revising the system of family allowances.

46. Mr. Dean

asked the Minister of Social Security when she intends to arrange and implement plans for improved family allowances in respect of families whose income is below the basic level laid down by the Supplementary Benefits Commission.

33. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Minister for Social Security if she will now make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's intentions for dealing with the problem of child poverty.

The Minister of Social Security (Miss Margaret Herbison)

I would refer the hon. Members to my replies to Questions on this subject on 21st November.—[Vol. 736, c. 929–31.]

Mr. St. John-Stevas

Has the right hon. Lady never heard of the heart grown sick by hope deferred? Would not the best plan be to increase the payment that could be made to lower-paid workers, who constitute in a very real sense the new poor, while leaving the present system of Income Tax allowances unchanged?

Miss Herbison

This is a very complicated matter, and efforts are being made to find a proper solution so that we shall get rid of poverty among children everywhere.

Mr. Dean

Last Monday, the right hon. Lady told the House that she was studying the inquiry into family circumstances but that the report would not be published till May or June. Why should there be this long delay, and does she intend to take action before publication of the report?

Miss Herbison

The full report has not yet come to me; in other words, we have to wait till all the work is done on the report. But I have already told the House of what I regarded as the most important information brought forward from the study of these families in order that we might use it in our study of how best to help the poorest in the country.

Mr. Michael Foot

Will my right hon. Friend do her best to speed up the examination of the whole subject so that any proposed overhaul of the family allowances scheme, which would be greatly welcomed by many Members on this side, could come into operation at about the time of the Budget?

Miss Herbison

I assure my hon. Friend that no one is more deeply concerned than the Government or myself about this, and we are dealing with it as urgently as possible.

Mr. Maurice Macmillan

Could the right hon. Lady give us information on two points: are any special factors being disclosed in relation to this problem, such as bad housing or unstable families; second, is any information coming to her from the local authorities indicating special aspects of the problem in different areas, particularly the big cities?

Miss Herbison

From the report itself we have the information about financial needs. The other social needs on which the hon. Gentleman has touched are matters on which also we are expecting a great deal of information. Not only my Department but everyone concerned with family endowment in its widest aspects is concerned with this whole study, and all of us are giving a great deal of attention to these matters.