§ Mr. Barry Field (Isle of Wight)I beg to move,
That leave be given to bring in a Bill to provide for child benefit to be forfeited by or suspended from parents of persistent truants and vandals.I thought that I was in grave danger of making parliamentary history by introducing the first ten-minute Bill to be filibustered.
Child benefit costs £4.6 billion every year, one tenth of the entire social security budget. Of that sum, £1.3 billion is paid to 1,790,000 families with an income in excess of £20,000 a year. That is a quarter of the entire expenditure on child benefit, and I cannot accept that collecting taxes and employing an army of civil servants to distribute this universal benefit regardless of need can be justified.
The Bill will begin the process of a long-needed reform of this ludicrous anomaly whereby we spread a little jam thinly rather than concentrating it where it is needed. This measure will establish and highlight the trinity that leads to good citizenship. It consists of: parental responsibility, a sound education and pride in the community.
The forerunner of child benefit was the family allowance, and when he introduced it, Beveridge said that it was a financial aid to parents in meeting their responsibilities and in recognition of certain responsibilities on behalf of the state. The Bill will focus attention on the need for parents to meet those responsibilities in the way in which they bring up their children. Parents and the part that they play are directly related to the way in which children grow up.
In the Home Office report published in 1985, entitled "Parental Supervision and Juvenile Delinquency", of 10 recommendations to parents, number 9 said:
Turning a blind eye to truancy and unauthorised absences is unlikely to encourage a positive attitude to school.A recent operation by the West Midlands police, called "Operation Sweeper" returned more than 100 children to either their schools or their parents. Many of the latter were surprised that their children were playing truant, because the school had not informed them.The Bill requires schools to notify the DHSS when children are absent from school without good cause and this will, in turn, lead to the notification of parents that continued absence could lead to the suspension or forfeiture of child benefit. The point is that parents will no longer be able to plead ignorance as to where children are or what they are up to.
The report into delinquency concluded that a particularly noticeable characteristic of the parents of many of the delinquents was carelessness or laxity in matters of supervision. It found that these parents were less concerned than others to watch over, or know about, their children's doings, their whereabouts or their companions. They failed to enforce or to formulate fixed rules about such things as punctuality, manners, bed time, television viewing or tidying-up. The West Midlands police operation picked up children as young as eight and I cannot and will not accept that it is impossible to regulate the life and actions of children so young.
A recent survey of 10,000 children by the National Housing and Town Planning Council suggests that up to 100,000 schoolchildren are missing school every day to play fruit machines. Later this week, we shall see the 400 publication of the Home Office report on amusement machine dependency and delinquency. My Bill will bring to light those parents who are failing to ensure their children's regular attendance at school.
The education authorities are responsible for dealing with truancy and because of this, no national statistics are available. Through my introduction of the Bill, I have been led to conclude that schools are not doing enough to notify parents when their children are absent. Parents have expressed to me surprise and disquiet that they have not been notified, and there is undoubtedly a direct relationship between truancy and crime. During the Birmingham operation, reported crime fell from 82 incidents in April to 46 in May. Children will listen to their parents and copy their example.
A survey commissioned by Blyth Valley council for the Northumberland police and the Keep Britain Tidy Group, found that children blamed their parents for not being strict enough. Of the 2,500 children interviewed, 52 per cent. replied that they would listen to their parents, and only 50 per cent. said that they would listen to the police. Some 40 per cent. said that they would listen to pop stars and only 8 per cent. said that they would listen to the advice of youth club leaders. That was 1 per cent. less than those who would listen to Church leaders or politicians. Parents have power, if only we could encourage them to exercise it.
The final part of this measure would require magistrates to notify the Department of Health and Social Services of children convicted or cautioned for acts of vandalism. Vandalism is estimated to cost the country up to £30 million a year and cleaning up graffiti is costing £23 for every man, woman and child. Let no one suggest that these are problems of poverty. Spray cans of paint, that most popular tool for the graffiti gorilla, cost money, as do the fish and chip papers and Coca-Cola cans that litter the streets, and the over-loud transitor radios. All this behaviour is a manifestation of anti-social behaviour. It is the product of an affluent society in which children are all too often, to use the modern phrase, allowed to do their own thing.
Only yesterday, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary at the London conference on vandalism revealed that more than 4,000 vandals were aged between 10 and 13. That shows that they often start their careers at 10 or younger.
I do not propose that the money saved by my proposal will be returned to the Treasury. It will go to finance the working and administration of the measure, and to be distributed to local charities and social workers who specialise in helping children with behavioural difficulties. This would strengthen the tie between the community and the child. The current universal payment by the state is too remote.
There is little that is revoluntionary in the Bill. Since 1983, the DHSS has funded over 100 projects serving juvenile offenders to seek to provide alternatives to custody and care. Suspending child benefit, which in many cases benefits everyone except the child, will, I hope, bring the child and parent back into partnership so that we bring up better Britons for a better future for our nation.
In the 1920s, and 1940s, Eleanor Rathbone wrote "The Disinherited Family" and "The Case for Family Allowances". Her campaign led ultimately to child benefit as we know it today. She said: 401
Children are not simply a private luxury, they are an asset to the community.My Bill will ensure an end to parental disinterest. It will ensure that children are an asset to the community. The Bill is not an attack on the poor because child benefit is counted as a resource for families on income support, but it is an attack on parents who fail properly to bring up their children.
§ Question put, pursuant to Standing Order No. 19 (Motions for leave to bring in Bills and nomination of Select Committees at commencement of public business):—
§ The House divided: Ayes 37, Noes 123.
402| Division No. 391] | [5.39 pm |
| AYES | |
| Alexander, Richard | Hunter, Andrew |
| Bennett, Nicholas (Pembroke) | Janman, Tim |
| Blackburn, Dr John G. | Jones, Robert B (Herts W) |
| Boswell, Tim | Knight, Dame Jill (Edgbaston) |
| Brazier, Julian | Leigh, Edward (Gainsbor'gh) |
| Brown, Michael (Brigg & Cl't's) | Mans, Keith |
| Buck, Sir Antony | Martin, David (Portsmouth S) |
| Budgen, Nicholas | Morris, M (N'hampton S) |
| Carlisle, John, (Luton N) | Nicholson, David (Taunton) |
| Carrington, Matthew | Paice, James |
| Coombs, Anthony (Wyre F'rest) | Redwood, John |
| Currie, Mrs Edwina | Shaw, David (Dover) |
| Davies, Q. (Stamf'd & Spald'g) | Strang, Gavin |
| Devlin, Tim | Watts, John |
| Farr, Sir John | Widdecombe, Ann |
| Field, Barry (Isle of Wight) | Winterton, Mrs Ann |
| Gorman, Mrs Teresa | |
| Gow, Ian | Tellers for the Ayes: |
| Hargreaves, Ken (Hyndburn) | Mr. Irvine Patnick and |
| Holt, Richard | Mr. David Evans. |
| NOES | |
| Adams, Allen (Paisley N) | Cook, Frank (Stockton N) |
| Allen, Graham | Corbett, Robin |
| Alton, David | Corbyn, Jeremy |
| Anderson, Donald | Cousins, Jim |
| Archer, Rt Hon Peter | Currie, Mrs Edwina |
| Armstrong, Hilary | Dalyell, Tam |
| Ashton, Joe | Davies, Ron (Caerphilly) |
| Barnes, Harry (Derbyshire NE) | Dixon, Don |
| Barnes, Mrs Rosie (Greenwich) | Douglas, Dick |
| Battle, John | Duffy, A. E. P. |
| Beaumont-Dark, Anthony | Dunwoody, Hon Mrs Gwyneth |
| Beckett, Margaret | Eastham, Ken |
| Beith, A. J. | Evans, John (St Helens N) |
| Bennett, A. F. (D'nt'n & R'dish) | Ewing, Mrs Margaret (Moray) |
| Bermingham, Gerald | Fearn, Ronald |
| Bidwell, Sydney | Field, Frank (Birkenhead) |
| Biggs-Davison, Sir John | Flannery, Martin |
| Blair, Tony | Foster, Derek |
| Boateng, Paul | Fyfe, Maria |
| Bradley, Keith | Galbraith, Sam |
| Brown, Nicholas (Newcastle E) | Garrett, John (Norwich South) |
| Bruce, Malcolm (Gordon) | Godman, Dr Norman A. |
| Buchan, Norman | Gordon, Mildred |
| Caborn, Richard | Grant, Bernie (Tottenham) |
| Callaghan, Jim | Griffiths, Nigel (Edinburgh S) |
| Canavan, Dennis | Haselhurst, Alan |
| Clelland, David | Heffer, Eric S. |
| Clwyd, Mrs Ann | Hicks, Robert (Cornwall SE) |
| Hinchliffe, David | Radice, Giles |
| Hood, Jimmy | Rhodes James, Robert |
| Howells, Geraint | Roberts, Allan (Bootle) |
| Hughes, Simon (Southwark) | Robertson, George |
| Hume, John | Ross, Ernie (Dundee W) |
| Kennedy, Charles | Salmond, Alex |
| Kilfedder, James | Sedgemore, Brian |
| Kirkwood, Archy | Sheldon, Rt Hon Robert |
| Leighton, Ron | Short, Clare |
| Lestor, Joan (Eccles) | Skinner, Dennis |
| Livingstone, Ken | Smith, Andrew (Oxford E) |
| Livsey, Richard | Smith, C. (Isl'ton & F'bury) |
| Lloyd, Tony (Stretford) | Soley, Clive |
| Loyden, Eddie | Spearing, Nigel |
| McCartney, Ian | Steel, Rt Hon David |
| McGrady, Eddie | Strang, Gavin |
| McKelvey, William | Taylor, Mrs Ann (Dewsbury) |
| McNamara, Kevin | Taylor, Matthew (Truro) |
| McWilliam, John | Turner, Dennis |
| Madden, Max | Vaz, Keith |
| Mallon, Seamus | Wall, Pat |
| Marshall, Jim (Leicester S) | Wallace, James |
| Marshall, John (Hendon S) | Wareing, Robert N. |
| Maxton, John | Wigley, Dafydd |
| Michael, Alun | Williams, Alan W. (Carm'then) |
| Michie, Bill (Sheffield Heeley) | Wilson, Brian |
| Michie, Mrs Ray (Arg'l & Bute) | Winnick, David |
| Millan, Rt Hon Bruce | Wise, Mrs Audrey |
| Mitchell, Austin (G't Grimsby) | Worthington, Tony |
| Moonie, Dr Lewis | Wray, Jimmy |
| Morris, Rt Hon A. (W'shawe) | Young, Sir George (Acton) |
| Mullin, Chris | |
| Nicholson, Emma (Devon West) | Tellers for the Noes: |
| O'Brien, William | Mr. Frank Haynes |
| Pike, Peter L. | and Mr. Alan Meale. |
| Quin, Ms Joyce |
§ Question accordingly negatived.
5.50 pm§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Has anyone informed you in the last few minutes that there may have to be an interruption in the Government's proceedings, because the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security the hon. Member for Derbyshire, South (Mrs. Currie) voted in both Division Lobbies? We want to know now what is the Government's policy on child benefit, in view of the fact that the hon. Lady voted in both Lobbies.
Are you also aware, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that there was a bit of a schemozzle when the Under-Secretary of State, having voted for the motion, was then confronted by a set of pickets in excess of six against the Tory code of practice? They tried to stop her entering the Lobby because they had captured her vote. She then proceeded to enter and vote in the other Lobby. That calls for a statement of policy, so that the House may know exactly where the Government stand on child benefits.
§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Harold Walker)It is not at all unusual to have a little schemozzle in this place. As to the Minister having voted in both Lobbies, that is not unique or without precedent.