YOUTH CRIME, TRUANCY AND CHILD BENEFIT

Early day motion 1250, tabled 8 May 2002 by Lynne Jones (Labour). Signed by 59 members.

That this House welcomes Government initiatives to tackle the causes of youth crime and truancy such as the Surestart programme, the introduction of learning mentors, learning support units and the development of the Education Welfare Service; believes that the continuation of such measures together with investment in intensive family support services and social housing is the best way to tackle youth crime and truancy; notes that powers already exist to impose fines on parents who fail to send their children to school but believes that fining or deducting benefits from already poor people will be counterproductive; further notes that child benefit has always been universal and unconditional to ensure that there is at least some reliable financial support for the cost of feeding and clothing all children but that this is taken into account, pound for pound, in the assessment of means-tested benefits, raising questions about the rationale of any proposal to withdraw one benefit only for it to be replaced by another; also notes that if child benefit is completely withdrawn this begs the question as whether income based benefits dependent on receipt of child benefit would be forfeited; further notes that any procedure to remove child benefit would have to be based on fair process, including the collection and presentation of evidence, comments from parents facing withdrawal of benefits and an appeals procedure at considerable administrative cost; and therefore reaffirms its support for child benefit to remain an unconditional universal benefit that encourages self-sufficiency.

Signatures by party: Labour 51, Labour/Co-operative 3, Liberal Democrat 3, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1, UUP 1.