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Baroness Barker: My Lords, I, too, support the regulations. I agree that they are a model of clarity. Clearly if it is the same person writing these regulations as in 1977, she is now a pensioner and not a married woman. I welcome the simplification of the administration. We hope that it will set a precedent that the Government may wish to follow by transferring many more of the Child Support Agency processes to the Inland Revenue, something we have advocated for a long time.
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: My Lords, I am grateful for the rapid welcome that has been given to the regulations. I understand why the responses were both welcoming and rapid.
The noble Baroness, Lady Wilcox, asked me about training costs. My understanding is that they will continue as now. We are merely consolidating, given the Inland Revenue's responsibility for child tax credits and the way in which child benefit lies as a building block alongside that. It makes sense for the customer to have one body handling these functions.
I welcome what the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, said about clarity. As to her point about the Child Support Agency, at this stage I shall merely say that she is misguided. No doubt we shall enjoy debating the issue on a future occasion—and I emphasise the word "enjoy".
On Question, Motion agreed to.
- House adjourned at nineteen minutes before ten o'clock.
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