Financial Assistance Scheme (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2008

As I indicated earlier, there is the prospect of several thousand people coming into the scheme much more quickly than that, because the 90 per cent payment and the NRA change will be important. This is a realistic and effective way to proceed. I stress that there are quite a lot of technical and operational issues here, and we need to make sure that we get it right. That is why it is right that we invested in setting up the FAS effectively right from the start. We were criticised at one stage about the funding that had gone in, in relation to the payments that were then flowing. Our point then—which is valid and important now—was that if we had not put that infrastructure in place, it would be even more challenging to get some of the subsequent improvements to the scheme properly in place. That is an effective timetable, and we are working to it. The noble Lord asked about the May 2004 cut-off point. I touched on that in my opening remarks. It is right to retain it, because it is the date that the FAS was announced, but we will continue to consult. As I outlined, we have a number of consultations lined up for the future, and we will keep that under review. At the moment, we are sticking to that date. Similarly, in relation to the NRA, it is right to keep the definition that we have but to keep it under review to make sure that we have effectively covered all the reasonable and appropriate circumstances that exist. The challenges around those two areas emphasise how complex some of this is and why we need to take the appropriate time to make sure that it is absolutely right. I hope that I have dealt with the questions that have been raised. I am grateful for the support that the two opposition parties have given to the regulations. On Question, Motion agreed to.