Finance Bill

Debate between Fiona Bruce and Iain Wright

Tuesday 28th June 2011 Commons Chamber

[Fiona Bruce]

The Government are seeking to support families and stable communities. In supporting marriage, that is what we are seeking to do.

[Mr Iain Wright]

Will the hon. Lady define what she thinks a family is?

[Fiona Bruce]

Committed relationships.

Under the previous Conservative Government, Britain recognised marriage in the tax system. The Labour Government did away with that in their first term. Britain’s fiscal arrangements effectively made it more challenging for people to marry than was the case in most other developed countries. Today we still live with that legacy. Apart from those in the UK, only 18% of citizens of OECD states live in countries that do not recognise marriage in the tax system. Most of them live in Turkey and Mexico. Our failure to recognise marriage puts us out of line with fellow developed countries, and that arrangement continues to be a cause for concern, for a number of reasons relating to both fairness and social well-being.