HC Deb 05 March 2001 vol 364 cc92-3W
Mr. Maclean

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 13 February 2001,Official Report, column 104W, on working families tax credit, what assessment he has made of the findings of the NACB report, "Work in Progress". [151861]

Dawn Primarolo

The Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) is a success in making work pay for families on low to middle incomes and tackling child poverty. Over 1.1 million families are receiving it—300,000 more than claimed the predecessor benefit, Family Credit. The WFTC is boosting incomes, paying on average an extra £76.86 a week to families looking after 2.2 million children.

We welcome NACAB's recognition of the contribution made by the WFTC to making work pay and tackling child poverty.

Mr. Chaytor

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households are in receipt of the working families tax credit in each English local authority. [152504]

Dawn Primarolo

I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Lancaster and Wyre (Mr. Dawson) on 22 January 2001,Official Report, column 425W.

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the(a) average change in absolute net income and (b) the percentage of net income per recipient household of working families tax credit if it were tapered away from the higher rate tax payers on a comparable basis with children's tax credit. [151572]

Dawn Primarolo

Such a tapering away would not be possible because, in general, the information needed to establish whether any person in the applicant's family is a higher rate taxpayer for the relevant year cannot be known at the application date.