§ Mr. Wakehamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether the procedures for the award of family allowances involve discrimination against children on the Adopted Children Register, in view of the extra costs incurred by parents in satisfying her Department of the correctness of information supplied by parents;
(2) whether she intends to review the procedures for the award of family allowances.
§ Mr. O'MalleyIn the case of adopted children it has always been considered necessary to verify the date of adoption, 629W in order to establish, as from that date, a child's status as an issue child for family allowance purposes. I do not think this is discrimination, and extra costs are only involved if the parents have not already got a full certificate. In view of the current level of the fees, however, procedures are being reviewed to see whether it is possible to avoid putting parents to this extra expense solely for family allowances purposes.