§ 20. Mr. Peter BottomleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many increases in child benefit have been announced(a) in the past 18 months and (b) in the preceding three years.
§ Mr. JackIn the past 18 months we have announced three increases in child benefit. In the preceding three years, help was channeled into benefits designed to assist low-income families with the result that overall resources available to families with children are now greater than if child benefit had simply been uprated throughout the period.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost of raising each of the two rates of child benefit by £1 per week in 1992–93.
§ Mr. JackOn the basis of the latest available information, it is estimated that the gross cost would be around £640 million, and the net cost about £450 million.