Welfare Reform Bill

My Lords, I am certainly happy to take that away and explore what flexibility there is at the moment. Perhaps we need to focus on the two situations; namely, those who are in the work-ready group who will be expected to be available and looking for work, and those in the progression-to-work group where there is no suggestion that they would be mandated or asked to take up work, or be directed to any particular employment, but simply to engage in activities which move them closer to the job market. That is a fruitful area for discussion in Committee. The noble Lord, Lord Kirkwood, asked about the sanctions proposed by Professor Gregg. We support the principle of sanction escalation, which I think was the thrust of his recommendations, for those who repeatedly fail to attend appointments or undertake required activity. We will explore the use of full-time activity requirements for those who repeatedly fail to comply with their obligations. More generally, we will consider these proposals as part of the review recommended by Professor Gregg. The noble Baroness, Lady Murphy, asked about access to work and extending that to cover voluntary work and fluctuating work. We believe that access to work can best help those who are moving into or retaining to paid work. We are keen to see how access to work can better support those with fluctuating health conditions, but we need to balance the needs of customers with the need to ensure that access to work supports its primary aim, which is to help people sustain paid work. I am sure that that is just a fraction of the points that have been raised tonight. I am grateful for who everyone has spoken in this productive debate. I hope that we will have the chance to move these things forward in Committee. This Bill is a key stage of our continuing reform of the welfare system. We are already pressing ahead with a number of the measures announced in the White Paper. We announced further measures in the Budget to help the unemployed move back to work. The Bill will allow us to deliver comprehensive reforms to ensure that the welfare state is supported and that it expects people to support themselves. The Bill is not about punishing people for being on benefits; it is about ensuring that the welfare system provides people with the opportunities that they need to improve their skills, prepare for work and move off benefits and into employment where that is appropriate. I overlooked in my notes the contribution of the noble Lord, Lord Northbourne, on joint birth registration. I know that that is a matter on which he has campaigned and feels strongly. I am delighted that it is in the Bill with his support. When I saw his name on the list tonight, I knew that he would be pleased. In conclusion, this Bill is designed to help us further along the road to a simpler, more personalised benefits system. It is designed to provide wide-ranging powers to let disabled people have more control of the provision of services applied to them. It is a Bill to ensure that parents take full responsibility for their children’s upbringing. It is a good and necessary Bill and I commend it to the House. Bill read a second time and committed to a Grand Committee.