Mr. David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate) (Con): If the Financial Secretary wishes to present herself as a fighter against child poverty, perhaps with bare knuckles, will she acknowledge that 300,000 children are in poverty because of the couple penalty? If so, will she do something about it?
Jane Kennedy: I am always willing to listen to valid points. That point is made frequently, and we are considering it. If the hon. Gentleman takes time to look at the documents that we have published alongside the Budget, he will see that in the next 11 or 12 years, we will work—
Gordon Banks (Ochil and South Perthshire) (Lab): In government.
Jane Kennedy: Indeed. We will work to achieve our target not only for 2010 but for 2020. I hope that the hon. Member for Enfield, Southgate (Mr. Burrowes) will see that that work takes place and that many questions are asked. As my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, North, said, we do not claim to have all the answers. That is why we will work in partnership with a number of organisations that have a great deal of expertise, to understand the issues involved. I agree entirely with my hon. Friend that it is now right to determine how best we can dismantle the remaining barriers to work that people who depend on welfare have to face.
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I agree with my right hon. Friend the Member for North Tyneside (Mr. Byers) that the Budget debate offers a prime opportunity, each spring, for the parties to set out their stall. I thank him for his powerful speech and his encouragement. He made a number of important points, which I shall draw to the attention of ministerial colleagues. He talked about problems concerning tax credits, arguing that we should move in the opposite direction from current policy and reduce the range of income in respect of which a family with children is entitled to them. There was a degree of sympathy for that point throughout the House. However, the fact that we have been able to establish a tax credit system that carries with it absolutely no taint of being a welfare benefit—it is an entitlement—and enabled families with children to claim it has been a very significant factor in encouraging a high take-up. Given that success, I would be reluctant to dismantle such a policy framework. However, I am always happy to listen to comments.
