Welfare Reform Bill

I start by thanking the noble Lord, Lord Goodlad, for this amendment. I think that the debate we are going to have is likely to be pretty much a re-run of the debate that we had last year. I see that the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, has travelled that fine line by staying with his Front Bench in the other place, which, I believe, has changed its position on this as well. I say to the noble Baroness, Lady Thomas, that the Government did not change their mind on the previous occasion; the reality was that it was an issue that we conceded in wrapping up one or two other outstanding issues in relation to the Bill. That happens sometimes with legislation. We believe that the administrative arrangements are right now and we believe that they were right then, but it was not a matter that we pressed or an issue that we were prepared to let go last time in the context of other things that needed to be settled.