§ 19. Mr. WallaceTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy annually to uprate child benefit in line with inflation.
§ The Secretary of State for Social Security (Mr. Tony Newton)I will continue to carry out my statutory duty by reviewing the rate of child benefit annually and considering its future level in the light of all the relevant circumstances.
§ Mr. WallaceI thank the Secretary of State for that reply, which I could scarcely describe as helpful. He knows that this question comes up annually and will not go away, because of the serious way in which inflation has eroded the real value of child benefit over many years. That benefit is well directed to help families, and has almost a 100 per cent. take-up. Given the current rate of inflation, 921 will the Secretary of State accept that if the Government are to be true to their claim to be the party that supports the family, we need something much more positive than the answer that he has just given?
§ Mr. NewtonI think that the hon. Gentleman knows full well the reason for the answer that I gave, precisely because it is this particular time of year. Having been pursued around Bournemouth last week at intervals by people inviting me to speculate on this self-same subject—and, finally, having drawn from one of our most distinguished television political commentators the remark, "It sounds as if even your 'no comment' is off the record"—I do not propose to be drawn further this afternoon.