Welfare Reform Bill

I thank all those who have supported the amendment. It is significant that I was supported by three noble Baronesses. As the noble Countess, Lady Mar, said, income support applies particularly to women and the noble Baroness, Lady Turner, made the same point. Women are particularly sensitive to the need for income support. I accept what the Minister said, but having a clause called "Abolition of income support" in the Bill has frightened a lot of people. There is a real failure to communicate what this will do. We all know what the situation is, but even the press do not. It is one of the complaints that the press make; if they talk about the Bill at all, and they are beginning to talk about it now, they just talk about the abolition of income support. I am glad that we now know that the report on carers will be with us before the Summer Recess. That is very welcome. There is a real problem—the noble Countess, Lady Mar, touched on this—that a lot of groups worry about carers being put on jobseeker’s allowance, even if they are in the category of JSA that will not be expected to look for a job. That carries the wrong message. I understand in a sense why the Government are doing that, but it is a very cock-eyed way of doing it that has produced a great deal of misunderstanding. I am pleased, though, that the Minister has said that the Government will abide by the recommendation of the Delegated Powers Committee and will make the affirmative procedure apply to any regulations made under this section of the Bill, which will allow us to have another debate on Report if necessary. If it had been a negative instrument it would have been the same, but we will get a report from the Social Security Advisory Committee, which will be welcome. However, if that committee has any doubts about it, will he assure us—if he is in a position to say this—that the Government will listen to its recommendations? Sometimes the Government do not listen at all but plough on, regardless of the views of their own advisers. I hope that in this instance they will listen.