New Clause 16
Welfare Reform Bill
4:00 pm
Jim Murphy (Minister of State (Work), Department for Work and Pensions; East Renfrewshire, Labour)
You are right, Mr. Hood, because that behaviour was worse than anything in the Chamber yesterday. Nevertheless, the level of disagreement yesterday demonstrates that there are substantial policy and priority differences between the two major parties, particularly about poverty and child poverty. The Bill is an important contribution in that area; I remind hon. Members that one in six of current incapacity benefit customers has a dependent child and the Bill would make a substantial impact on the child poverty measurement.
I acknowledge the comments on new clause 40 made by the hon. Member for Daventry in the debate on new clause 38. I thank him for giving us advance notice of his questions and comments in that way.