Clause 8 - Interpretation
Age-Related Payments Bill
12:00 pm
Professor Steve Webb (Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Work & Pensions; Northavon, Liberal Democrat)
Just before we suspended, the Conservatives made a shameless bid for the polygamous vote among the over-70s. That is obviously part of a new strategy for targeting the electorate. There were also yet more examples of tax and spend. The hon. Member for Eastbourne implied that he would shower the £100 on any number of wives. It was quite shameless.
I am unclear whether the amendment would help or hinder those in polygamous marriages. It would take the provision for such marriages out of the Bill completely, leaving the question of what the default position would be. On one reading, the default position might be that each partner will get 50 quid, so not having a specific provision for polygamous couples to be treated as one might therefore result in multiple £50 payments. I am not sure whether that was the hon. Gentleman's intention or whether he did not want to provide for this group at all.
It is worth including the provision for this rare group so that we know where we stand. Having it in the Bill is probably preferable to not having it. However, I want one thing clarified, which arose during discussions on previous social security Bills. Is polygamous in this context taken to mean polyandrous as well?