§ 24. Mr. Cyril Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement on the Government's progress towards the implementation of the recommendations of the Finer Report on One-Parent Families.
§ Mr. OrmeA detailed progress report in relation to the recommendations with-in the responsibility of my Department was given in reply to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Cordle) on 23rd March—[Vol. 908, c.87–8].—Since then the following steps have been taken to help one-parent families:
Child interim benefit has been put into payment for 1976–77, at a cost of £20 million, for first children in one-parent families; and the value of this benefit is being preserved by the payment of a premium of 50p on top of the £1 child benefit payable for all first children from next April; the Supplementary Benefit (Amendment) Bill has been introduced to raise the earnings disregard, for one-parent families, exclusively, from £4 to 112W £6, net, from the middle of next month and an extra £70 million a year has been added to benefits paid to one-parent families in the uprating which also takes effect next month.