Welfare Reform Bill

I thank all noble Lords for their contributions to the debate. It has been incredibly lively and helpful. In that regard, I thank the Minister for the number of undertakings that he gave during his response. In particular, I was very grateful for his assurance about the wording of regulations—that is, that the Secretary of State must or shall take account of the definition of good cause. That is a tremendous concession, if I can call it that. I was also very grateful for the Minister’s assurance to the Committee—perhaps it is a reality anyway—that people with mental health problems will receive a home visit before any sanction is applied. That is incredibly important and valuable for an awful lot of people. I am also pleased that the Minister has undertaken to look at the possibility of being more specific in the Bill on the definition of "good cause". Of course, that is the whole point of the amendment, so it is a tremendous step forward and I am very grateful for that. I hope that, as well as trying to achieve it, he will be able to follow it through and actually achieve it. Finally, the Minister’s assurance concerning a parent’s right to make a decision about specific childcare provision was also very good and helpful, and it will reassure parents up and down the country. That was a remarkably positive response to the debate and I thank him very much. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 12 withdrawn.