HL Deb 24 July 1986 vol 479 cc415-6

3 Clause 19, page 24, line 35, after "he" insert "or, if he is a member of a married or unmarried couple the other member of the couple".

The Commons agreed to the above amendment with the following amendment:

4 Line 2, after first "couple" insert "he or".

Baroness Trumpington

My Lords, I beg to move that the House do agree to the Commons Amendment numbered 4 to the Lords Amendment No. 3.

During consideration of the Bill in another place we proposed a minor technical amendment to Clause 20(5)(b) to correct a deficiency in the wording of the amendment as introduced at Report in this House. The change is designed simply to ensure that entitlement to family credit is not necessarily restricted to the member of a couple who happens not to be in full-time work. We intend that entitlement should normally rest with the claimant, who, as I have said, will usually be the mother. This amendment removes a slight ambiguity in the present wording. I beg to move.

Moved, That this House do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 4 to the Lords Amendment No. 3.—(Baroness Trumpington.)