Welfare Reform Bill

No, it isn't, actually. Scrutiny is about looking in a balanced way at both the sticks and the carrots—at the whole sanctions regime, all the conditionality, and all our existing and future reforms outwith the Bill. It is about that, rather than about simply asking, ““What happens if a drug user does this, that or the other?”” and asking about sanctions. Those are fairly appropriate questions in Committee, but not here, and not in the context of his not telling us quite where he stands on what we will do to help and support some of the most vulnerable people in our community. That is precisely what the Bill is about, in terms. I take the points made by my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, North about the integrated employment and skills services, many of the other existing rules, and the whole panoply of what we are doing in welfare reform, not just for the immediate downturn, but more broadly. We have clearly said that we need to look again at specific extant measures, whether for the short term or in the context of welfare reform, and we will do so, if those measures do not fit in. However, hon. Members cannot say that they support some of those measures if they do not support what we are already doing with Jobcentre Plus—if they do not support the £1.8 billion and the six-month package that we have brought forward. On the broad gist of what hon. Members have said, the removal of barriers that get in the way of people getting back into work is absolutely key. The measures are not, as billed, ““Any job at any cost,”” regardless of whether there is child care provision or other elements. I take on board what many of my Scottish friends have said about the paucity of child care provision in some areas of Scotland, not least Glasgow. There is certainly a huge paucity of drug treatment referral centres in Scotland. We are trying to work with members of the Scottish National party to deal with that. We are just trying to get basic figures from them, but they are not being forthcoming. As Members have quite properly said, the liberalisation and realisation of the potential of people who have, up to now, been written off is central to the Bill, and to everything else that we are trying to do in welfare reform. That must be right. I totally disagree with my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field), who is not present, who says, ““Whatever you do, don't make the reforms now because of the downturn.”” We cannot leave the most vulnerable people behind in those circumstances. It is almost appropriate to say that now more than ever is the time to deal with those people. All that we are saying is that everyone should get a chance. No one should be written off or left behind. In welfare reform, and in everything else that we are doing in view of the downturn, we need to do as much as we can to allow people to do as much as they can. I commend the Bill to the House. Question put and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time.