Clause 1
Welfare Reform Bill
11:15 am
Tim Boswell (Shadow Minister, Work & Pensions; Daventry, Conservative)
I am glad to join the Committee, albeit somewhat belatedly, having risen from my sickbed. I do not wish in any way to gainsay the hon. Gentleman’s contribution, or that of my hon. Friend the Member for Bury St. Edmunds because I think we are marching along the same lines. However, would the hon. Gentleman not agree that, while I know what he was driving at, the concept of labour market disadvantage is a slippery one because, at any one time, that disadvantage may increase or be diminished beyond the ability to pick it up? For example, labour market conditions might change. The disadvantage may be more or less disadvantaging to the individual at any one time. That is a conceptual difficulty with his argument.