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Mr. Charles Walker (Broxbourne) (Con):
Labour Members do not have a monopoly on compassion, whatever they might think. Many people live on the very margins of society in Waltham Cross and Cheshunt. I know there is a problem and sincerely believe the
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Minister will try to resolve it. Can she assure me that none of the hard-working families in my constituency will be disadvantaged by any clawback in future?
Dawn Primarolo: That is precisely what I was trying to achieve through the reforms that I announced on 26 May, and I am gratified that the hon. Gentleman is prepared to acknowledge that.
Mrs. Joan Humble (Blackpool, North and Fleetwood) (Lab): I regularly meet constituents who have benefited enormously from the tax credit system, and especially from the child care tax credit, which allows them to get off benefit and into work to advantage themselves and their families. When my right hon. Friend considers families who are in need because of decisions about their entitlement, will she examine the child care tax credit, without which many parents would not be able to stay in work?
Dawn Primarolo: I reassure my hon. Friend that the child care tax credit will be considered when we examine the need for reform on disputed excess payments. She is right that payment assistance with child care costs has liberated hundreds of thousands of families by allowing parents to choose whether to return to work. That payment did not exist until we started our tax and benefit reforms, which have provided huge improvements for parents in particular.
Peter Viggers (Gosport) (Con): Is the Paymaster General aware that her complacency does not reflect the distress and hardship that so many families have experienced? Even if the incompetence were ironed out of the system, the flexibility of which she is so proud still means overpayment and clawback, which causes intense hardship for poorer families.
Dawn Primarolo:
The hon. Gentleman's criticism that I have been complacent is not correct. This afternoon, I have provided a catalogue of actions that I have taken over some time, and I have continued to acknowledge that the system contains some problems. The hon. Gentleman should address the complacency of the previous Government in allowing child poverty to rise and the apparent complacency of the current Conservative party in not willing the means needed to tackle and eradicate child poverty.
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BILLS PRESENTED
Mr. Secretary Clarke, supported by The Prime Minister, Mr. Secretary Prescott, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Secretary Straw, Mr. Tony McNulty, Bridget Prentice and Andy Burnham, presented a Bill to make provision about immigration, asylum and nationality; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time tomorrow and to be printed. Explanatory notes to be printed [Bill 13].
Mr. Marsha Singh, supported by Peter Bottomley, Mr. Michael Clapham, Mrs. Ann Cryer, Mrs. Janet Dean, Mr. John Grogan, Mr. Fabian Hamilton, Mr. Mike Hancock, Dr. Brian Iddon, Mr. Eric Illsley, Mr. Terry Rooney and Mrs. Betty Williams, presented a Bill to make provision about representation of and assistance to complainants indiscrimination proceedings before employment tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal; to establish and confer functions upon the Tribunal Representation and Assistance Board; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time on Friday 14 October, and to be printed. [Bill 14].
Sir Malcolm Rifkind, supported by Mr. David Heathcoat-Amory, Mr. Nigel Waterson, Mr. Tim Boswell and Mr. Paul Goodman, presented a Bill to make provision about the rights and choices of savers in relation to pensions and pension schemes, annuities and savings; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time on Friday 28 October, and to be printed. [Bill 15].
Clare Short, supported by Dr. Tony Wright, Mr. William Hague, Sir Menzies Campbell, Mr. Kenneth Clarke, Mr. Alex Salmond, Mr. Douglas Hogg, Mr. Neil Gerrard, Mr. Gordon Prentice, Kelvin Hopkins, Mr. Michael Moore and Adam Price, presented a Bill to require parliamentary approval for the participation of Her Majesty's armed forces in armed conflict and for a declaration of war; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time on Friday 21 October, and to be printed. [Bill 16].
Mr. Mark Lazarowicz, supported by Dr. Alan Whitehead, Mr. Andrew Smith, Mr. Peter Ainsworth, Mr. Frank Doran, Andrew Stunell, Dr. Desmond Turner, Mr. Mike Weir, Joan Walley, Alan Simpson, Meg Hillier and Colin Challen, presented a Bill to make provision about the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases, the alleviation of fuel poverty, the promotion of microgeneration and the introduction of a renewable heat obligation; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time on Friday 11 November, and to be printed. [Bill 17].
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Miss Anne McIntosh, supported by David Davis, Patrick Mercer, Mr. Dominic Grieve, Mr. Frank Field, Mr. Mike Hancock, Lady Hermon, Kate Hoey, Dr. Richard Taylor, Mr. Mark Prisk, Chris Grayling and Mr. Roger Gale, presented a Bill to amend section 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967 and section 3 of the Criminal Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1967 in relation to the use of force in the prevention of crime or in the defence of persons or property: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time on Friday 2 December, and to be printed. [Bill 18].
Mr. Tom Clarke, supported by Ann McKechin, Mr. Nicholas Brown, John Barrett, Angela Browning, Mr. Alex Salmond, Dan Norris, Ed Balls, Lady Hermon, Dr. Hywel Francis, John Bercow and Keith Vaz, presented a Bill to require the Secretary of State to report annually on total expenditure on international development assistance as a proportion of gross national income, and in particular on progress towards the target for expenditure on official development assistance to constitute 0.7 per cent. of gross national income; to require such reports to contain information about expenditure by country, about the proportion of expenditure in low income countries and about the effectiveness of expenditure in each country; to make provision about the transparency of international development assistance; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time on Friday 20 January, and to be printed. [Bill 19].
Mr. Alan Williams, supported by Derek Conway, Mrs. Ann Cryer, Mr. Andrew Dismore, Clive Efford, Nia Griffith, Mr. David Heath, Mr. Michael Mates, Ms Emily Thornberry, Jon Trickett, Mrs. Betty Williams and Richard Younger-Ross, presented a Bill to make it an offence to assault or impede persons who provide emergency services; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time on Friday 24 February, and to be printed.[Bill 20].
Mr. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, supported by Mr. John Whittingdale, Mr. Iain Duncan-Smith, Mr. Edward Leigh, Mr. Nick Herbert, Mr. William Hague, Mr. Peter Atkinson, Mr. Peter Ainsworth, Andrew Selous, Peter Luff, Sir George Young and Mr. David Curry, presented a Bill to provide that income tax is not chargeable on the earnings of persons living in poverty: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time on Friday 14 October, and to be printed. [Bill 21].
Dr. Alan Whitehead, supported by Mark Lazarowicz, Paddy Tipping, Mr. John Denham,
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Mr. Peter Ainsworth, Andrew Stunell, Mr. Andrew Robathan, Joan Ruddock, Colin Challen, Annette Brooke, Dr. Phyllis Starkey and Martin Salter, presented a Bill to make provision about the promotion of renewable and sustainable energy, energy efficiency in buildings and the alleviation of fuel poverty; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time on Friday 11 November, and to be printed. [Bill 22].
Mary Creagh, supported by David Taylor, Helen Goodman, Mark Durkan, Ms Emily Thornberry, Mr. Andy Reed, Mr. Paul Burstow, Vera Baird, Ms Barbara Keeley, Tom Levitt, Mr. Barry Sheerman and Mr. Robert Walter, presented a Bill to make provision about the marketing, sale and provision of food to and for children; to make provision for education and the dissemination of information about children's diet, nutrition and health; to place certain duties on the Food Standards Agency; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time on Friday 28 October, and to be printed. [Bill 23].
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