Social Security (Reform)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 6:16 pm on 18 June 1985.

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Photo of Frank Field Frank Field , Birkenhead 6:16, 18 June 1985

The hon. Gentleman is ignoring one point about which he normally informs the House. Child benefit has two roles — first, the benefit that he is describing, and, secondly, the tax role. How can the hon. Gentleman put forward an argument along the lines he has described unless he says also that other personal tax allowances should be abolished at the same time as child benefit is abolished? Unless the hon. Gentleman does that, he is shifting the burden of taxation from those with children to single people.