§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the benefit savings to be made if the income support of absent parents is to be reduced by virtue of clause 39(2) of the Child Support Bill.
§ Mr. JackClause 39(2) of the Child Support Bill provides for a power to seek a contribution to maintenance from absent parents on income support by deduction from their income support to reinforce the message that they have the same responsibility as other parents. But those who are sick or disabled, or who are claiming income support for dependent children will be zero-rated. The long-term reduction in benefit expenditure from applying the deduction to those who are fit and able to work is provisionally estimated at approximately £9 million at 1990–91 prices.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many representations he has received on clause 22 of the Child Support Bill.
§ Mr. JackOn initial publication of the White Paper, "Children Come First", we received some 250 written representations of which 56 contained specific responses on our proposals to reduce the caring parent benefit which were reflected in the Bill's original clause 22. Since the introduction of the Child Support Bill we have received about 20 letters on clause 22, some occasioned by representations to Members of Parliament from bodies who had also responded at the time of the White Paper publication.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate has been made of the administrative cost of applying deductions from income support by virtue of clause 35(2) of the Child Support Bill.
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§ Mr. JackThe long-term administrative cost of all deductions from income support arising as a result of the Child Support Bill is provisionally estimated at about £4 million at 1990–91 prices.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consultations he has had on clause 22 of the Child Support Bill.
§ Mr. JackWe sought the views of organisations and members of the public on all aspects of the proposals set out in the White Paper "Children Come First", including the measures set out in the former clause 22. We have received many letters on this subject. In addition to representation by means of letter we were pleased to meet some of the principle organisations representing lone parents, when, as part of our wider consultations on the Bill we discussed both the current clause 6 and the former clause 22.