Clause 2
Welfare Reform Bill
11:45 am
James Clappison (Shadow Minister, Work & Pensions; Hertsmere, Conservative)
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for studying that document, because it has proved to be the inspiration behind much of what we are debating today. It created the momentum of the debate because we had 11 years in which there was no movement at all and the age remained 16. To answer the hon. Gentleman’s question directly, he will see that the age of five was specifically mentioned in that report as the age of the youngest child at which parents should be moved across, and of course that document did not have in mind the full regime that we are now talking about. The Under-Secretary of State looks perplexed about that, but when that document was written the social justice policy group did not have in mind and could not know the full regime proposed by the Government. We have no issue with the regime as a generality, but in the case of parents of younger children we think that there is an issue to discuss in cases where parents will be subject to the regime and to sanctions for failing to comply. I think that the hon. Gentleman will have to accept that there are issues to be debated and that it is right for us to debate the age at which that move takes place. He has not answered the question of why two years is insufficient time.