Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Michael McCann Excerpts
Tuesday 16th November 2010

(14 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Mark Hoban Portrait The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr Mark Hoban)
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My hon. Friend makes an important point and the FSA’s mortgage market review is seeking to learn some of the lessons from how the mortgage market was regulated before the financial crisis and some of the problems that that regulation created. What I think is important is that the FSA should consider very carefully the impact on home ownership and particularly on those people who are looking to move shortly.

Michael McCann Portrait Mr Michael McCann (East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow) (Lab)
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T8. May I give those on the Treasury Front Bench the opportunity to answer the question on child benefit that they failed to answer earlier? How do they justify taking child benefit off a single-earning family on £45,000 and allowing a family that earns £80,000 to retain child benefit? An answer this time would be appreciated.

Danny Alexander Portrait The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Danny Alexander)
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As the hon. Gentleman knows—and as the whole House knows—the justification for the measure that we took was to ensure that the cost of the spending review fell equally across the population so that those with the broadest shoulders would bear a greater share of the burden. In those circumstances, it is right that child benefit should be taken away from families with higher rate taxpayers. I would have thought that the Opposition would support that, not oppose it.