§ 26. Mr. Dribergasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to provide for the payment of family allowances in respect of children born to unmarried parents, but living with them as members of existing families, thus amending statutory provisions which disallow such payments until the parents are married.
§ Mr. DeanNo. Children who are joint issue of unmarried parents or issue of the woman count in her family under the Family Allowances Act; where, less commonly, some children are issue of the man but not of the woman they may count only in his family. This situation is a consequence of defining the family unit on the basis of blood ties. Any other basis, such as the household, would need rules which would be too complex for what is essentially a simple scheme applicable to 7 million children.