§ 7.0 p.m.
§ LORD ABERDARE rose to move, That the Draft Family Income Supplements (Computation) Regulations 1973, laid before the House on January 23, be approved. The noble Lord said: My Lords, the object of these Regulations is to increase the prescribed amounts for family income supplements from April 3 this year, on which date it will be twelve months since they were last increased. For a one-child family, the prescribed amount will he increased from £20 a week to £21; for a two-child family, from £22 to £2350; for a three-child family, from £24 to £26; and for a family of over three children it will be increased by E2.50 for each child. In general, this will mean that over the whole life of the scheme these prescribed amounts will more than keep pace with the increase in prices over the same period.
§ Perhaps I should also remind your Lordships that these awards are now made for twelve months rather than for six months, which means that the supplement continues to be paid as people's earnings rise in general; and the result is that it is estimated that in the year 1973–74 the family income supplements will cost about £1 million more than they did this year—in all, about £11 million. The supplement is raid to families who need help, and the latest figures that I can give your Lordships show that some 84,000 families are in receipt of this supplement, and the average weekly payment to them is just over £2 a week. A further 20,000 families receive increased supplement benefit because of the effect of the "wage stop" provisions; so, in all, over 100,000 families, including something like a quarter of a million children, are receiving help from family income supplements. Among them are some 30,000
| Country | State schools | Private schools | Children's homes | |
| Belgium | … | Not permitted. | Not permitted. | Not permitted. |
| Denmark | … | Not permitted. | Discouraged. | Not permitted. |
| France | … | Not permitted. | Discouraged. | Prohibited in State institutions. Otherwise discouraged. |
| Germany | … | Permitted in elementary schools only. | Permitted in elementary schools only. | Permitted on same basis as in schools. |
| Irish Republic | … | Permitted. | Permitted. | Permitted. |
| taly | … | Not permitted. | Not permitted. | Not permitted. |
| Luxembourg | … | Not permitted. | Not permitted. | Not permitted. |
| Netherlands | … | Not prohibited. | Not prohibited. | Not prohibited. |
§ single-parent families, who obviously are a very special case which all your Lordships would wish to help, and a somewhat similar number of single-child families, who of course do not get any benefit from family allowances. Also, all those in receipt of the family income supplements get a passport to other health benefits.
§ My Lords, we are continuing to publicise the scheme. As far as one can best estimate at the moment, about half of those who are eligible are receiving the benefit; but some three-quarters of those who are entitled to £2 a week or more are claiming it. We shall continue to try to improve on this figure, and we already have arrangements for making sure that people who are claiming maternity benefit or family allowances, or those who are returning to work after having been in receipt of supplementary benefit, are informed about the family income supplements. I am sure that these Regulations, increasing the prescribed amounts, will appeal to your Lordships, and I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Draft Family Income Supplements (Computation) Regulations 1973, laid before the House on January 23, be approved.—(Lord Aberdare.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.