(c) crown copyright
Catalogue Reference:CAB/129/164/11
Image Reference:0001
CP(72) 86
COPY NO
g g
1 August 1972
CABINET
TAX-CREDIT SCHEME: DRAFT GREEN P A P E R
Memorandum by the S e c r e t a r y of State for the H o m e Department
and Lord P r e s i d e n t of the Council
1.
The Cabinet d i s c u s s e d a draft G r e e n Paper on the T a x - C r e d i t
S c h e m e at t h e i r m e e t i n g on 27 June (CM(72) 32nd C o n c l u s i o n s , Minute 1),
and invited m y p r e d e c e s s o r to e x a m i n e the draft with other M i n i s t e r s
concerned and c o n s i d e r the publicity a r r a n g e m e n t s in g r e a t e r d e t a i l .
I have a c c o r d i n g l y had d i s c u s s i o n s with the Chancellor of the E x c h e q u e r ,
the S e c r e t a r y of State f o r Social S e r v i c e s , the Lord P r i v y S e a l , the
S e c r e t a r y of State for the E n v i r o n m e n t , the M i n i s t e r of A g r i c u l t u r e
and the S e c r e t a r y of State for E m p l o y m e n t .
2.
The Cabinet c o m m e n t e d in p a r t i c u l a r on the payment of child
c r e d i t s , the i m p l i c a t i o n s of the s c h e m e for the financial p o s i t i o n of s t r i k e r
and the t r e a t m e n t of n o n - r e s i d e n t d e p e n d a n t s .
Our c o n c l u s i o n s on t h e s e
matters are as follows:­
a.
!
Child C r e d i t s .
It would be s i m p l e s t to pay a l l c r e d i t s to the father; but t h e r e w i l l
be public p r e s s u r e for s o m e and p o s s i b l y a l l of t h e m to go to the
mother.
The f a i r e s t a n s w e r would probably be to split t h e m
between the p a r e n t s , giving the father credit for the f i r s t child
(or p e r h a p s the f i r s t t w o children), and the m o t h e r the c r e d i t s
for the o t h e r s .
But o u r c o n c l u s i o n i s that it would be wrong to
r e a c h a d e c i s i o n on t h i s c o n t r o v e r s i a l m a t t e r at this s t a g e .
We
t h e r e f o r e p r o p o s e that the a r g u m e n t s for and against p a y m e n t s
wholly to the father, split b e t w e e n father and m o t h e r , o r wholly
to the m o t h e r , should be o b j e c t i v e l y set out in the G r e e n P a p e r ;
and it should be stated that t h e G o v e r n m e n t r e g a r d the i s s u e a s
e n t i r e l y open, and that a d e c i s i o n w i l l be r e a c h e d in the light of
public d i s c u s s i o n and the v i e w s of the S e l e c t C o m m i t t e e .
b.
Strikers
S t r i k e r s and t h e i r f a m i l i e s do not forfeit i n c o m e tax a l l o w a n c e s ,
f a m i l y a l l o w a n c e s or f a m i l y i n c o m e supplement, a l l of which the
T a x - C r e d i t S c h e m e w i l l in whole o r in part r e p l a c e .
Any p r o p o s a l
that t h e y should be forfeit would be e x t r e m e l y c o n t r o v e r s i a l .
The
S e c r e t a r y of State for E m p l o y m e n t , the C h a n c e l l o r and the
S e c r e t a r y of State for S o c i a l S e r v i c e s are looking at t h i s further;
but our f i r s t i m p r e s s i o n i s that it would not be justifiable t o u s e
the s c h e m e a s a m e a n s of p e n a l i s i n g s t r i k e r s , and in any c a s e to
do so would a l m o s t c e r t a i n l y put at r i s k the support for the s c h e m e
which the Opposition have s o far d i s p l a y e d .
M o r e o v e r , it would
s t i l l be p o s s i b l e for l o s t T a x C r e d i t s to be c l a i m e d at the end of
the y e a r a s an additional tax a l l o w a n c e , which, unlike c r e d i t s paid
during a s t r i k e , could not be offset against any s u p p l e m e n t a r y
b e n e f i t s c l a i m e d : if T a x C r e d i t s w e r e not paid during the dispute,
t h e r e f o r e , s t r i k e r s would in fact be better off.
We do not c o n s i d e r
that we should v o l u n t e e r any s t a t e m e n t in the body of the G r e e n
Paper itself.
c.
N o n - r e s i d e n t Dependants
T h i s again i s l i k e l y to be a c o n t r o v e r s i a l i s s u e , p a r t i c u l a r l y among
i m m i g r a n t s ; and we think that the b e s t c o u r s e i s to s e t out the
p o s i t i o n and s e e how public d i s c u s s i o n d e v e l o p s .
We t h e r e f o r e
p r o p o s e to explain in the G r e e n P a p e r that child c r e d i t s for
o v e r s e a s dependants would probably be payable in a l l c a s e s
w h e r e we at p r e s e n t have r e c i p r o c a l a r r a n g e m e n t s with the
c o u n t r i e s c o n c e r n e d on f a m i l y a l l o w a n c e s ; and that where we
do not, the question i s for the m o m e n t being left open for further
study.
3.
Although the s c h e m e cannot c o m e into effect for another five or s i x
y e a r s , i t p r o p o s e s the application of a v e r y l a r g e sum of m o n e y ,
£1, 000 m i l l i o n o r m o r e ; and in p r e s e n t i n g the s c h e m e we m u s t be
careful that the i m p r e s s i o n i s not gained e i t h e r that t h i s s u m , which
on the whole w i l l benefit the h a r d - p r e s s e d and slightly b e t t e r - o f f rather
than the p o o r e s t m e m b e r s of the c o m m u n i t y , w i l l d i m i n i s h what would
o t h e r w i s e be done for the l a t t e r , o r that the s c h e m e i s being launched
without r e g a r d t o the g e n e r a l context of the G o v e r n m e n t s s o c i a l p o l i c i e s .
The C h a n c e l l o r cf the E x c h e q u e r and the S e c r e t a r y of State for Social
S e r v i c e s a r e drafting a f o r e w o r d which i s intended to c o v e r t h e s e points
on l i n e s which we h a v e d i s c u s s e d .
We h a v e a l s o c o n s i d e r e d the
s u g g e s t i o n that t h e r e might be a s i m p l i f i e d v e r s i o n of the G r e e n
Paper.
On the w h o l e , we b e l i e v e that the G r e e n P a p e r , a s a document
for d i s c u s s i o n , should stand on i t s own, and that a s i m p l i f i e d v e r s i o n might
lead to confusion and m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g of p r o p o s a l s which m u s t be
explained in s o m e d e t a i l if t h e y a r e to be j u s t l y u n d e r s t o o d .
We a r e
h o w e v e r c o n s i d e r i n g whether it would be f e a s i b l e to p r o d u c e a pamphlet
to p r o m o t e the G r e e n P a p e r and if so what distribution it should be g i v e n ,
t
4.
The C h a n c e l l o r of the E x c h e q u e r c o n s i d e r s that the m o s t opportune
t i m e f o r publication of the G r e e n P a p e r m i g h t be in S e p t e m b e r .
Our
c o n c l u s i o n w a s that we should at l e a s t be r e a d y to publish t h e n .
It i s
d e s i r a b l e that publication should not be d e l a y e d , b e c a u s e even a s things
a r e the t i m e t a b l e for bringing the s c h e m e into effect in A p r i l 1977 i s v e r y
tight.
F u r t h e r m o r e , p u b l i c a t i o n i s e x p e c t e d s o o n , a n d t o o m u c h delay­
m a y w e l l be i n t e r p r e t e d a s d i s a g r e e m e n t .
The Chancellor would propose
t o c o n s u l t t h o s e c o l l e a g u e s p r i n c i p a l l y c o n c e r n e d a b o u t t h e p r e c i s e d a t e of
publication.
M e a n w h i l e we h a v e c o n s i d e r e d the d e t a i l e d a r r a n g e m e n t s for
p u b l i c i t y , w h i c h w i l l p r o b a b l y i n c l u d e a t t r i b u t a b l e b r i e f i n g of t h e P r e s s ,
t e l e v i s i o n and r a d i o , a n d e x t e n d e d b r i e f i n g o f s e l e c t e d c o m m e n t a t o r s a n d
specialist publications.
RECOMMENDATION
5,
I i n v i t e m y c o l l e a g u e s to a g r e e that the G r e e n P a p e r , a s a m e n d e d
on the l i n e s s e t out a b o v e , should be p u b l i s h e d in S e p t e m b e r : the date to
b e f i x e d i n c o n s u l t a t i o n w i t h t h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r , t h e C h a n c e l l o r of t h e
E x c h e q u e r , t h e S e c r e t a r y of S t a t e f o r S o c i a l S e r v i c e s a n d m y s e l f .
Unless
a n y of o u r c o l l e a g u e s r a i s e a n y o b j e c t i o n s b y m i d d a y o n F r i d a y 4 A u g u s t
we will a s s u m e that w e have the Cabinet's a g r e e m e n t to p r o c e e d
accordingly.
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31 J u l y 1972