Welfare Reform Bill

I am afraid that I was unable to be present at Second Reading, but I very much support the intentions behind the amendment of the noble Countess, Lady Mar. Oddly, one of the benefits of the current appalling recession is that it has put into perspective this particular group of people, who will quite obviously have their situation worsened. I think that we all agree that there is already a certain amount of age discrimination among employers, which has been thrown into much sharper relief by the situation that we are all in. The point that has just been made about the need for the Government to do some research into this area is important and, again, part of an amendment in this group. One would like to see far more thought being given to the long-term question of the need we will all have to continue in work of one sort or another, and to what extent that should include voluntary work and more guidance into second and third careers—at least as much for women as for men. How we work ourselves out of an aging society will depend on the consideration that this is given at this stage.