The Minister will understand that I was surprised and delighted when I telephoned the Minister of State earlier this afternoon and found that he picked up the phone himself. I hope that his office will be able to expedite payment of family credit to one of my constituents who won an appeal recently, thereby restoring the suspension of family credit in 1989. She is now owed £2,000. I hope very much that that sum will be paid promptly.

Family credit is no substitute for proper and adequate child benefit. The protests of mothers throughout the country at the way in which child benefit has been frozen and thereby reduced in value will become deafening as we approach the next general election.