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Tax Credits

Does my right hon. Friend agree that in moving from the inflexibilities and unfairnesses of the old benefits system to what is effectively the integration of tax and benefits through the new tax credits system, it is important that we balance the interests of taxpayers and poor families? That is why, in the original design, if incomes fall, families are fully compensated, but if their incomes go up, they must rise above the £2,500 threshold before they have to make repayments. In looking again at whether that balance has been struck as well as it could have been and whether we need to learn from experience, can my right hon. Friend confirm that she will do nothing to go backwards on tax credit integration or on reducing the unfairnesses or the inflexibilities and that she will do nothing to put at risk a reform for which she deserves huge credit, which has taken a million families out of poverty and which was opposed consistently from the beginning by the entire Opposition?