Equality — Question

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 2:44 pm on 8 February 2011.

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Photo of Lord Sassoon Lord Sassoon The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury 2:44, 8 February 2011

I am grateful to my noble friend and I agree completely with his analysis. That is why we have introduced the £2.5 billion pupil premium to increase the emphasis on the educational development of children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds; that is why we are introducing the £150 million per annum national scholarship fund; and that is why my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is working on the most complex and important reassessment of welfare and benefits that has been attempted for two generations in order to get away from the overcomplex system of means-tested cash benefits and the dependency of far too many families who are trapped in welfare.