Part of Welfare Reform Bill (Programme) (No. 2) – in the House of Commons at 6:45 pm on 10 November 2009.
Helen Goodman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
6:45,
10 November 2009
With the leave of the House, I am grateful for the agreement of the hon. Members for Forest of Dean (Mr. Harper) and for Northavon (Steve Webb). With respect to the measure on travel documents, I hope that the evidence that we have obtained from experience abroad will be replicated, but, as the hon. Member for Northavon has acknowledged, we will make a full assessment of the pilots and bring the matter back to the House, so that all hon. Members can take a view. I also hope that he is satisfied that we are incorporating sufficient safeguards-notwithstanding his dislike of the word "safeguards"-in the administrative approach, so that people who are affected by the measures will feel that their civil liberties are protected. I commend the amendments to the House.
Lords Amendment 50 agreed to.
Lords amendments 51 to 102 agreed to.
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
