HC Deb 28 February 2002 vol 380 cc1432-3W
33. Mr. Hendrick

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on how the new integrated tax credits will affect families with children in Lancashire. [35778]

Dawn Primarolo

The new child tax credit, to be introduced in April 2003, will be a single, seamless system of support for families with children. It will build on the foundation of universal child benefit, bringing together all income related payments for children into a single strand of support paid to the main carer.

The child tax credit will be complemented by the new working tax credit and rates and thresholds for these two new tax credits will be set in Budget 2002. As decisions on rates and thresholds have not yet been taken, it is not possible to assess the impact of the tax credits on particular families.