§ Mr. ClellandTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to increase child benefit for all children to the level it would have been if it had been uprated in line with inflation since 1987.
§ Mr. ScottAs my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made clear on a number of occasions, we are committed to increasing the current level of child benefit in line with inflation. Child benefit is and will remain a strong element in our policies for family support. From 1988 we have introduced extra help for families on income-related benefits which will amount to over £600 million in 1992–93. This, together with last year's increases in child benefit,
A B C D E Uprating date Rate of Child Benefit plus Child Dependency Increase Equivalent value of benefit at April 1991 prices Gross male weekly average earnings with amounts in column B as percentage Equivalent net week earnings with amounts in column B as percentage Single person Married couple £ £ £ Per. cent £ Per cent. £ Per cent. November 1979 11.10 24.52 114.10 9.7 79.90 13.9 83.60 13.3 November 1980 12.25 23.47 135.10 9.1 93.40 13.1 97.80 12.5 November 1981 12.95 22.16 149.50 8.7 101.00 12.8 105.40 12.3 November 1982 13.80 22.22 160.60 8.6 107.40 12.8 112.50 12.3 November 1983 14.10 21.65 172.40 8.2 115.50 12.2 121.30 11.6 November 1984 14.50 21.22 187.40 7.7 125.90 11.5 132.50 10.9 November 1985 15.05 20.88 199.50 7.5 134.40 11.2 141.60 10.6 July 1986 15.15 20.68 210.90 7.2 143.80 10.5 151.20 10.0 April 1987 15.30 20.00 224.00 6.8 155.90 9.8 163.00 9.4 April 1988 15.65 19.69 245.80 6.4 174.80 9.0 182.00 8.6 April 1989 16.20 18.86 269.50 6.0 191.30 8.5 198.90 8.1 April 1990 16.90 17.98 295.60 5.7 212.80 7.9 221.10 7.6 April 1991 117.95 17.95 318.90 5.6 230.00 7.8 238.30 7.5 1 Where the new higher rate of Child Benefit for the eldest qualifying child applied, the Child Dependency Increase was adjusted so that the total level of support remained the same for all children.