§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will seek to amend section 8 of the Income Support Regulations 1987 to enable calculation of income support for single parents to take into account, as an expense, any child care fees paid by the single parent.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardWe have no plans to do so. Housing benefit and family credit are the main benefits for single parents in work and have never provided help with child care costs. Nor is there any direct subsidy of such costs for people in work generally.