§ 8. Mr. St. John-Stevasasked the Minister of Social Security whether she will now make a statement of Government policy on family allowances.
§ Miss HerbisonI have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member's Question on this subject on 30th January.—[Vol. 740, c. 28–30.]
§ Mr. Pardoeasked the Minister of Social Security if she will estimate the cost of replacing the existing family allowances with a graded scale of children's benefits for all children including the first in accordance with the scale laid down for dependent children by the Supplementary Commission, assuming that these benefits would be treated as taxable income in the hands of the parents.
§ Miss HerbisonThe net additional cost of such benefits, after taking into account the reductions in National Insurance dependency benefits and in supplementary benefits, and the amount recovered in tax, would be about £635 million a year.
§ Mr. Pardoeasked the Minister of Social Security what was the cost of family allowances in the latest year for which figures are available.
§ Miss HerbisonThe cost of family allowances for the year 1965–66 was £146 million.