I am slightly suspicious about the extent to which the hon. Gentleman speaks with authority on what the women who come to see him in his surgery spend their health in pregnancy grant on. I cannot imagine them saying, ““I'm off now to spend my grant on rather a lot of packets of fags.”” What is the difference between the point that the hon. Gentleman is arguing now—that during pregnancy women should not be given a lump sum that they can spend in any way they choose because some of them might spend it on the wrong things—and what happens with child benefit after a child is born? Surely mothers could spend their child benefit on cigarettes, drugs and alcohol. If that is pursued to its logical conclusion, is it not an argument against giving them child benefit?
Savings Accounts and Health in Pregnancy Grant Bill
Proceeding contribution from
Kerry McCarthy
(Labour)
in the House of Commons on Monday, 22 November 2010.
It occurred during Debate on bills on Savings Accounts and Health in Pregnancy Grant Bill.
About this proceeding contribution
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519 c111 Session
2010-12Chamber / Committee
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