Group 6: Qualifying children (Amendments 14, 15, 16, 18)

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:23 pm on 5 December 2018.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 6:23, 5 December 2018

I fully understand, but my argument, Suzy, is that they're not actually necessary, because we've made clear the commitment to actually bring this forward, and there's no doubt about that. But if I can just briefly turn to the amendment that we passed at Stage 2 deliberations, and the Bill as drafted, both now require that an eligible child be below statutory school age. It allows the Welsh Ministers, provides the ability for Welsh Ministers, to set by regulations that age range. It allows us also to specify by regulations the type of information that parents should supply when making a declaration about a child's eligibility. Now, I accept this is not the same as specifying exactly what information a person must supply, but being very specific about the nature of information to be supplied in regulations could indeed fetter HMRC in terms of what they can accept as proof of eligibility. And HMRC—it isn't an accident that we're using them, because they're delivering the very similar offer across the border. So, saying to HMRC, 'Well, if things change, we're going to have to come back to our legislation and change it', that seems the wrong balance. 

Now, I don't see what is added by these amendments, which seek to both specify a child must be three years of age to access the offer but provide the Welsh Ministers with the power to change that age, and require Welsh Ministers to include details of the information to be provided in support of a declaration in regulations. So, I just don't see that they are necessary beyond what we're already doing and what we've committed to do. And on that basis, although I welcome the welcome you had for the amendment that we brought forward in Stage 2, I would urge Members to reject these amendments—14, 15, 16 and 18.