Policy and Politics
Labour and Tories clash over marriage tax break
The Conservatives have set out their own plans to make Britain more family-friendly, in the same week that Labour published its Green Paper on the family.
The parties clashed last week over the role of marriage in the tax system. The Tories propose rewarding couples who marry with tax breaks. On Monday, Labour stepped up its criticism of the plan, saying that Treasury figures showed that only 6 per cent of married couples would benefit from the transferable tax break, which it is believed would initially prioritise families with children under three, an idea proposed by former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith (see page 4).
The Conservatives' draft manifesto on the family, launched by David Willetts, shadow minister for the family, does not set out details. But it states, 'We will recognise marriage and civil partnerships in the tax system in the next Parliament.'
The manifesto also says that under a Conservative government, Sure Start would focus on early intervention and the 'neediest families' and bring in new providers who would be paid partly by results, as Tory leader David Cameron announced last week (News, 21 January).
The Conservatives would also provide 4,200 more health visitors, 'giving all parents a guaranteed level of support before and after birth until their child starts school'. This would be paid for by 'refocusing' the outreach services in the Sure Start budget and from the Department of Health budget.
Funding for early intervention and parenting support would be brought under one budget, which would be overseen by a newly created Early Years Support Team, based in the DCSF.
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat policies to help families include spending an extra £2.5bn on schools to provide one-to-one support and reduce class sizes, raising the threshold at which people start paying income tax to £10,000, and allowing parents to share leave after their baby is born.
