HC Deb 29 May 1970 vol 801 cc636-7W
Mr. Waddington

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now increase family allowances.

Mr. Ennals:

No. The Government are studying the extent to which poverty persists among families with children despite the 1968 increases in family allowances and the help these families get from free school meals, rate rebates and other benefits that have been introduced or extended since 1964. We shall consider what further action may be required when the results of this study are available.

Mr. Waddington

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now make family allowances payable for the first child.

Mr. Ennals:

No. Where there are two or more children in the family the family allowance provides help for the family as a whole. We are concerned about the difficulties of families with one child where the breadwinner is at work for low wages. But the numbers of such families are almost certainly too small to justify the huge expense of paying a family allowance for over 7 million first and only children.