Working Families Tax Credit

HC Deb 30 March 2000 vol 347 c259W

Mr. Kidney

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make working families tax credit a qualifying benefit for free school meals. [116702]

Dawn Primarolo

The provision of free school meals in England and Wales is a matter for the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, and in Northern Ireland it is a matter for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. In Scotland, free school meals are a devolved issue for the Scottish Executive.

The child tax credit elements of a Working Families Tax Credit award were built on the child credit rates in family credit, which WFTC replaced from October last year. The child credit rates in family credit included, from the outset, an additional weekly cash sum, provided to replace the value of entitlement to free school meals. These rates have been uprated annually in line with the Rossi index.