Welfare Reform Bill

My Lords, the Bill has long been promised by the Government. Perhaps it is just as well that we have not been holding our breath. As always, any proposal for change sets off a flurry of concerns that there will be losers as much as winners. Many of those who have spoken today have expressed their misgivings on the various matters that are of concern to them. As this is one of the few areas where Westminster has responsibility for legislating for Scotland, it is appropriate that some of your Lordships have received representation from organisations expressing their concerns from the Scottish perspective. One topic that was addressed a few minutes ago by the noble Lord, Lord Watson of Invergowrie, referred to by the noble Lord, Lord Northbourne, and raised as an amendment in the other place is the concern about the requirement that those seeking benefit must maintain involvement with a period of training regardless of whether they are trying to cope with children and family responsibilities. It has to be viewed in a different context from the operation of these regulations in England and Wales because there is a duty on local authorities here, under the Childcare Act 2006, to provide the requisite level of childcare. There is no such duty for Scottish local authorities, and in some areas correct care may be lacking. As the Government responded in the other place, the question will be open to interpretation by those allocating the assistance. That is not to say that there may not be areas in England where the proper childcare is lacking and that same discretion might not have to be applied. The Bill does not go into the levels of support that will be available to get people into work, and it does not address directly the considerable structures that are required to provide the training and job opportunities that are needed. The Minister spoke earlier about the measures that he will use to give work to external providers, and that leads on to my next point. I have received representations from the Association of Scotland’s Colleges expressing the hope that its role in providing recognised and transferable skills for the long-term unemployed will be taken into account and given a proper place within the structure of what is being set up. As 20 per cent of the organisation’s students come from the most deprived areas, this is certainly of much consequence in Scotland. About 99 per cent of the colleges’ courses have received commendation from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education, which has to be viewed against the sad fact that only 29 per cent of participants in the Government’s New Deal scheme have actually been able to find a job. That emphasises that something needs to be done to ensure that training is available, but at the right level and competence, and is related to local needs. The Scottish colleges at present rely on their good relationship with Jobcentre Plus in tailoring their courses to such local needs. There is a hope that this channel could be strengthened under the Bill but, if a part of the aim becomes to reduce or dismantle Jobcentre Plus, there are aspects of that relationship that need to be taken into consideration. The association thinks that the different needs in the Scottish context might benefit from the formation of a Scottish advisory welfare reform committee, made up of MPs, MSPs and the Scotland Office. Are these issues being addressed separately? Are the Government prepared to give special consideration to this issue? Perhaps one answer could be if the Minister were prepared to take up the suggestion of the noble Baroness, Lady Thomas of Winchester, that one of the proposed pilots should be in Scotland. Does he have any proposals along those lines?