§ Lord VAIZEYasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish a table showing the rates of family allowances in each Member State of the EEC expressed in £ sterling in April 1978 and what these rates will be in November 1978.
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLThe latest date for which authoritative information is available about the rates of family allowances in each Member State of the EEC is 1st January 1978. The following table expresses the monthly amounts payable at that date in pounds sterling:
1279WAIn the UK, the allowance for each child was increased to £9.97 monthly as from 3rd April 1978, with an additional allowance of £4.33 monthly for the first child of a lone parent.
Note: Exchange rates as at 1st January 1978 have been used so that the calculations are in line with those for the preceding table.
It is difficult to forecast what changes will have occurred by 13th November 1978, when new UK rates come into operation. In Belgium, Denmark and Luxembourg the amounts payable will depend on movements in the indices to which they are linked, but I know of no proposals for changes in Germany, Ireland or Italy. In France, Netherlands and the UK the position is expected to be as follows:
France £ Netherlands £ UK £ 1st child — 12.60 13.00 2nd child 21.76 26.39 13.00 3rd child 35.95 26.39 13.00 4th child 35.00 35.22 13.00 5th child 33.11 35.22 13.00 6th child 33.11 38.99 13.00 7th child 33.11 38.99 13.00 Each other child 33.11 43.10 13.00 Notes: 1. Exchange rates as at 1st January 1978 have been used so that the calculations are in line with those for the preceding table. 2. The additional allowance in the UK for the first child of a lone parent will be £8.66 monthly.