§ 2. Mr. Ashleyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has had that all householders, regardless of their marital status, should receive a personal tax allowance equal to that now received by a married man.
§ The Minister of State, Treasury (Mr. Robert Sheldon)My hon. Friend recently wrote to my right hon. Friend on this subject and I have also noted the motion on the Order Paper to which other hon. Members have attached their names. The increase in the additional personal allowance proposed in my right hon. Friend's Budget effectively meets his suggestion for single-parent families with children.
§ Mr. AshleyI warmly welcome my right hon. Friend's assistance for single-parent families, but is my hon. Friend aware that it is unjust that widows and single women with household responsibilities should receive less than half of the 702 help that a working married couple receive? Will my hon. Friend give an undertaking to end this anomaly as soon as possible?
§ Mr. SheldonA number of representations have been made to my right hon. Friend about a householder allowance. This idea is among others that are being considered. But the married allowance is not related to the cost of running a home. It is, rather, an allowance for two people instead of one.