Welfare Reform Bill

The hon. Lady made the point very well—lone parents who want that, who can already seek it and whom we should assist. But we are not talking about that. We are talking about coercing those who do not choose to work, with the ultimate threat of benefit sanctions. Those who want it already can seek it. Since 1997 the Government have regarded bringing up young children as a second class activity. It is not job search—[Interruption.] That is absolutely true. The first new Labour Secretary of State, the right hon. and learned Member for Camberwell and Peckham (Ms Harman), and the right hon. Member for Leicester, West (Ms Hewitt), who was Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, have admitted that new Labour got it wrong in its language on parenting. Initially, the only thing that mattered was paid work. I thought Labour had learned that spending time bringing up a young child—mum or dad—is an incredibly valuable thing to do. It is unacceptable that someone cannot say, with the support of society, ““That's what I'm doing.”” I am extremely alarmed. I understand that the Secretary of State is tacking to the right on some of these issues, and this is one of them. He is missing the point about the value of parenting and the signal that society sends when it says, ““As soon as your child is one year old, we are going to start checking up on you and whether you are looking for real work.”” That is not my policy or that of my party.