What a Child Costs The number of Conservative members who
abstained from voting in the division on the 2s. or 3s. for a child question on Tuesday was even more. significant than the number who voted against the Govern- ment and thereby sent its majority to the lowest figure recorded in this Parliament. What was in question was not the statutory allowance to the children of persons drawing insurance benefit, but the grant in respect of the estimated .need of families in the public assistance category. The Minister of Labour. and his- Parliamentary Secretary protested in vain. that it would be open to . the Public Assistance Board to authorize an even higher payment . than 3s. a week. The House was insistent that the 3s. should* made quite definitely a minimum—which only means, as the proposer of the amendment, Sir John Haslam, pointed. out, a rate of 5d. a day for a child instead of 8d. There is little doubt that if the Whips had been off the amend- ment would have been carried easily. As it is the Public Assistance Board will at least know in advance what public opinion expects .of it. * * *
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