Clause 10
Welfare Reform Bill
9:10 am
Anne McGuire (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Disabled People), Department for Work and Pensions; Stirling, Labour)
Like my colleagues, I am delighted to be here and to be under your chairmanship, Mr. Amess. It must be lovely to be the Chairman of a Committee, by the way. I do not know of any other group of MPs who get so many compliments so early in the morning—and sometimes even late at night; but I shall not go down that road.
I can offer the Opposition considerable reassurance. I understand the reason for their concern and for their wanting matters to be spelled out in Committee. As currently happens with Atos Origin doctors, all the health care professionals who will be involved in the process will undergo training specified and agreed by the Department’s chief medical adviser before being approved by the Secretary of State to carry out assessments. That will ensure that health professionals who carry out the work-focused health-related assessments will have been trained to the standard that the Secretary of State expects and thinks appropriate. A health care professional who has not been trained to that level will not be approved.