Michael Gove has suggested that parents of children who skip school could have their child benefit payments stopped.
The Tory Levelling Up secretary said during a Q&A at a conservative think tank that the idea was originally considered by the coalition government under David Cameron.
But the move was blocked by the Liberal Democrats.
The Aberdeen native suggested that it could now be re-considered as part of a drive to restore “an ethic of responsibility”.
“We need to – particularly after Covid – get back to an absolute rigorous focus on school attendance, on supporting children to be in school,” he said.
“It is often the case that it is truanting or persistent absenteeism that leads to involvement in anti-social behaviour.
“So, one of the ideas that we floated in the coalition years, which the Liberal Democrats rejected, is the idea that if children are persistently absent then child benefit should be stopped.”
His comments were during a question and answer session and followed a wide-ranging speech on the future of conservatism.
Downing Street said it was not aware of plans to change or alter current policy.
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