Clause 15
Welfare Reform Bill
11:30 am
Danny Alexander (Shadow Minister and Disability Spokesperson, Work & Pensions; Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, Liberal Democrat)
This debate elicits some remarkable comments and I think that that counts as one of them. The hon. Gentleman, who sits on the Conservative Benches, seems very concerned about the implications of competition. Although an unanticipated intervention, it is welcome because it was an important point. Of course, it is important that an individual can work for any organisation and if a better job turns up, they should be free to apply for it. Indeed, if a private or voluntary organisation is delivering services more effectively than Jobcentre Plus, I hope that the best people would go and work for that organisation, rather than for Jobcentre Plus. I hope that the contracting methodology would allow the Minister or the Department to look at Jobcentre Plus-led areas to determine whether it is doing the job properly and ask whether we wish to use the powers in the clause to invite private and voluntary sector organisations to come forward if we think that they might do a better job.