§ Ms. Harmanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy that the present two-thirds expenses rule for child minders will not be altered when the Social Security Bill is implemented.
§ Mr. NewtonThere are currently different rules for the assessment of earnings from child minding in the supplementary benefit, housing benefit and family income supplement schemes. The Government will examine the future treatment of such earnings in the light of their general desire to introduce wherever possible a uniform approach to common issues for the three income-related benefits proposed in the Social Security Bill.
§ Ms. Harmanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if single parents who will receive income support will continue to have an allowance made for reasonable child minding expenses under the current supplementary benefit scheme.
§ Mr. NewtonI refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 3 March at columns60–61.