A major innovation came in Belgium (1930) and France (1932) with the introduction of family allowances, although New Zealand had introduced a limited means-tested scheme in 1927.
He said his government's cuts in corporation tax, reduction in National Insurance contributions for employers and introduction of Employment Allowances were helping businesses grow.
He welcomes the Total Cost Of Motoring service but says it should come with a "health warning", citing the unpredictability of events such as the demise of Saab and the introduction of scrappage allowance.
What was particularly interesting, though, was the suggestion that stay-at-home mums who will lose out from the child benefit decision could be compensated by the introduction of transferable tax allowances.
"The recent introduction of targeted tax allowances to promote the development of a range of difficult projects, coupled with the government's ground-breaking commitment to provide certainty on decommissioning tax relief, has prompted global companies and independent businesses alike to take another look at the UK as an investment destination," Mr Webb said.
Our own history of social policy and protection, with the introduction of pensions and allowances, demonstrates the importance of these instruments in responding to household and child poverty".
Quantitative and qualitative data indicated that students believed a number of strategies could work to improve rural recruitment and retention, with particular emphasis on the introduction of substantial rural allowances.
In 2008, the introduction of local housing allowance moved payments to tenants rather than landlords, unless a direct payment is requested, and 88% of those questioned said this had been a bad thing.
The coalition's introduction of a housing allowance cap was based on the theory that by capping the amount available to housing benefit recipients, landlords would drop their rents and renegotiate lower contracts with tenants.
But some of the tax giveaway will be clawed back by a further reduction in the starting point for the 40% tax rate, which will come down from £32,010 to £31,865 to tie in with the introduction of the £10,000 allowance.
