Lone Parent Employment

: Not at all. We have built an infrastructure to make work pay through the tax credit system and we have supported children's opportunities through the child care infrastructure of Sure Start and extended schools. Because of that and because of our effective stewardship of the economy, we do not have to force women into work, which is what happens all too often in America with the work test and the test of eligibility for benefits. We do, however, support and encourage, which is much more successful. In such an environment, we bring women into sustained employment. I quarrel with the concept that many of the jobs are not sustained: that is not what the evidence tends to show. We bring women into sustained employment and effectively lift the children, over their lifetime, out of poverty and into opportunity. Having said that, if the hon. Member for Yeovil looks at our propositions and at the further proposals that we have made, he will see that we are increasingly growing the conditionality that we believe is appropriate. However, doing that in a gentle way and bringing lone parents with us is much more effective as a longer-term sustainable policy intervention than suddenly—