Oliver Letwin told a fringe event on child poverty: "It is a remarkableindictment of the way politics works that you believe at any time thatwe were going to abolish Sure Start. And we are not going to undo thetax credit regime. Although it needs some simplification and there areissues about how it operates."
One delegate at the event called for problem families to have theirbenefits withdrawn. But Letwin responded: "I don't think we are going todeal with people whose lives are a complete mess by threatening themwith financial penalties."
Martin Narey, chief executive of Barnardo's, said: "I was very reassuredthat Letwin said the Tory party wouldn't retreat from Sure Start if itcame into power."
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