Welfare Reform Bill

My Lords, now that the Minister has moved all the government amendments, I thank him and the Bill team for what they have done. I shall put a slightly different complexion on it from that of my noble friend, who has recently come from the Commons. When I reported back to my Commons colleagues on the effect of our scrutiny in this place—the vote that we won and the other amendments that the Government accepted—they said, ““That’s absolutely marvellous. When can we join the Lords? What arguments did you use to persuade them?””. I said, ““Basically the same ones you used in the Commons. The difference is that here they have to listen to us because no party has an overall majority””. That is an interesting reflection on the way business is done in the two Houses. I thank the Minister, as I did at an earlier stage, for his approach to the Bill. I believe we have improved the Bill. Again I thank the Bill team, which has done very well. But why, oh why, did we have to go so far and for so long in the other place, only to finally change the Bill here? Please can there be a little more liaison between government Ministers in the two places? That would save us some time in this House. I am sure we have ended up with a better Bill than when it started.