§ Mr. Peter Bottomleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of increasing child benefit to £4 a week for all children if: (a) there were adjustments to child tax allowances and (b) the benefit was paid without adjustments to child tax allowances.
§ Mr. OrmeIncreasing the April 1977 rates of child benefit to £4 is estimated to cost £1.7 billion net of social security savings. The net effect of adjusting child tax allowances at the same time would depend on the adjustment; but even if all child tax allowances were eliminated, the extra revenue would not be likely to exceed half this sum.