I apologise for removing my jacket before obtaining your agreement, Mr. McWilliam. I shall remember to do so in other Committees of which you are the Chairman. The Government came to power with a mandate to reform social security. One of the key principles guiding reform is that the system should support families and children and tackle child poverty. We are committed to supporting all families with children.
All families have extra costs as a result of bringing up children.
The Government believe that the tax and benefits system should also take account of the specific difficulties and extra costs that some families face on account of their children. We recognise that in families where parents are unable to work or whose opportunity to maximise income from work is limited by their parenting responsibilities extra help is needed. That is why we are introducing measures that improve those families' incomes. Our working families' tax credit will provide more help to working families on low incomes. About 2 million children in one and two-parent families will be better off as a result.