§ 6. Mr. Christopher Priceasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now reaggregate the investment income of children with that of their parents.
§ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Robert Sheldon)I have noted my hon. Friend's suggestion, but I am not at present in a position to make a statement.
§ Mr. PriceDoes my right hon. Friend remember that as long ago as 1968 Mr. Roy Jenkins carried out this reform, which was changed by the Conservative Party and has never been put right? Is he aware that, if there are any further public expenditure cuts affecting the public education system, any failure to act on tax fiddles of this kind—which bolster the private education system—would be an absolute scandal from a Labour Government?
§ Mr. SheldonMy hon. Friend is talking about one aspect of aggregation, but he will recall that we have moved from child tax allowances to child benefit, and there is a linking between these two problems. At a later stage there will be a Green Paper on the taxation of the family, which will deal in part with the matter with which he is concerned.