Welfare Reform Green Paper

There will perhaps be a collective sigh of relief following the Green Paper’s publication today. At long last, we have something to discuss, and I am sure that disabled organisations will engage with the Secretary of State and his Department and debate these proposals. There will also be a sigh of relief at the fact that many of the scare stories running in the press about how punitive the Government were going to be seem not to have been fulfilled; that said, we shall have to look at the detail. Will the Secretary of State assure me that any new benefit that he puts in place will not contain the structural barriers associated with incapacity benefit, which puts obstacles in the way of disabled people and makes it very difficult for them to get work? Will he also provide support for those who need help, particularly those with mental health problems, who need assistance in accessing all those aspects of society that the rest of us take for granted?