HC Deb 08 November 2001 vol 374 c399W
20. Roger Casale

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further plans he has to integrate the tax and benefit systems. [11350]

Dawn Primarolo

The Government are committed to further integration of the tax and benefit system to tackle poverty and to promote incentives to work and save.

Over the last Parliament a number of reforms were introduced, including the introduction of the Working Families Tax Credit, the Children's Tax Credit and the Minimum Income Guarantee for Pensioners.

In the next stage of reform, the Government intend to introduce a new system of tax credits from 2003 which will help to support families, make work pay and tackle child poverty.

The Pension Credit, also introduced from 2003, will help reward saving, support pensioners on low to modest incomes and tackle pensioner poverty.