69

House of Commons

Tuesday 24 February 2009

Public Bill Committee

New Amendments handed in are marked thus

Amendments which will comply with the required notice period at their next appearance

Welfare Reform Bill

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Note

The Amendments have been arranged in accordance with the Resolution of the

Programming Sub-Committee.

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

1

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  11,  after ‘Regulations’, insert ‘which shall be published

before this Act comes into effect’.

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

2

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  11,  after ‘Regulations’, insert ‘to be agreed by Parliament

before this Act comes into force’.

Paul Rowen

40

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  12,  after ‘circumstances’, insert ‘other than when a claimant

is responsible for a child of school age’.

John Robertson

65

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  12,  after ‘circumstances’, insert ‘, and where claimants have

guaranteed and predictable access to good quality, affordable and flexible childcare which

meets the needs of the parents and the child or children in the claimants’ household,’.

Public Bill Committee: 24 February 2009

70

Welfare Reform Bill, continued

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

3

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  19,  leave out paragraphs (e) and (f).

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

4

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  40,  at end insert—

‘(8A)

A statutory instrument containing regulations made by the Secretary of State

under subsection (8) shall not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been

laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House.’.

Meg Munn

73

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  40,  at end insert—

‘(8A)

Regulations under this section must make provision to ensure that providers—

(a)	submit to the Secretary of State data showing the number of participants

with a disability at every state of the scheme by impairment category;

(b)	are required to show how they will meet the needs of participants with

particular disabilities.’.

Meg Munn

74

Clause  1,  page  3,  line  21,  at end insert—

‘(1A)

For the purposes of, or in connection with, any scheme within section 17A(1) the

Secretary of State shall review data showing the number of participants with a

disability at every stage of the scheme by impairment category.’.

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

39

Clause  2,  page  4,  line  21,  at end insert—

‘(A1)

This section does not apply in the case of a single parent with a child under five

years of age.’.

Paul Rowen

44

Clause  2,  page  4,  line  21,   at end insert—

‘(A1)

This section does not apply in the case of a single parent with a child under seven

years of age.’.

Paul Rowen

57

Clause  2,  page  4,  line  26,  at end insert ‘unless the person is caring for another

person for 35 hours or more per week.’.

Public Bill Committee: 24 February 2009

71

Welfare Reform Bill, continued

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

6

Clause  2,  page  5,  line  12,  leave out paragraph (e).

John Mason

88

Clause  2,  page  5,  line  20,  after ‘failure’, insert ‘, including demonstrating that the

failure was caused by a long-term or fluctuating mental health problem,’.

John Mason

89

Clause  2,  page  5,  line  26,  at end insert ‘which must include that person’s health at

the time of their failure to comply.’.

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

7

Clause  2,  page  5,  line  28,  at end insert—

‘(4A)

A statutory instrument containing regulations made by the Minister under

subsection (4) shall not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid

before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House.’.

Paul Rowen

46

Clause  2,  page  5,  line  28,  at end insert—

‘(j)	but may not prescribe accessing of healthcare provision, taking of

medication or accessing psychological therapies as a relevant

requirement.’.

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

8

Clause  2,  page  5,  line  37,  at end insert—

‘(6A)

A statutory instrument containing regulations made by the Minister under

subsection (5) shall not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid

before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House.’.

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

9

Clause  2,  page  5,  line  38,  leave out subsection (7).

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

10

Clause  2,  page  5,  line  49,  at end insert ‘, including activity which enables the

person to improve his or her skills for work.’.

Public Bill Committee: 24 February 2009

72

Welfare Reform Bill, continued

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

11

Clause  2,  page  6,  line  12,  leave out ‘in prescribed circumstances’.

John Mason

91

Clause  2,  page  6,  line  29,  after ‘which’, insert ‘the person is willing to undertake

and which’.

John Mason

92

Clause  2,  page  6,  line  30,  at end insert—

‘( )	an action plan shall include details of any sanction that can be applied

under the Act if the person, without good cause, fails to comply with any

of the activities in the action plan.’.

Paul Rowen

84

Clause  2,  page  6,  line  31,  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘shall’.

Paul Rowen

85

Clause  2,  page  6,  line  32,  after first ‘the’, insert ‘reasonable’.

Paul Rowen

86

Clause  2,  page  6,  line  34,  leave out paragraph (a).

Paul Rowen

47

Clause  2,  page  7,  line  5,  after ‘circumstances’, insert ‘including regard to that

person’s mental health and any specific mental health needs that person may have’.

Meg Munn

75

Clause  2,  page  7,  line  5,  at end insert—

‘(aa)

must be reasonable, having regard to whether the person has a learning

disability and the nature of that learning disability;

(ab)	must be reasonable, having regard to the adequacy of the support

available to be provided to the person if they have a learning disability;’.

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

12

Clause  2,  page  7,  line  10,  leave out subsection (3).

Public Bill Committee: 24 February 2009

73

Welfare Reform Bill, continued

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

13

Clause  2,  page  8,  line  27,  leave out paragraph (a).

Paul Rowen

62

Clause  3,  page  10,  line  17,  at end insert—

‘(8)	The prescribed description of person under subsection (4)(c) above shall include

any person with dependent children who has claimed benefit in the previous 12

months following an incident of domestic violence provided that the claimant is

able to produce such evidence as may be required by the Secretary of State to

establish that the relationship was caused to permanently break down before the

end of that period as a result of domestic violence, as under United Kingdom

Immigration Rule 289A.’.

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

14

Clause  3,  page  10,  line  24,  leave out subsections (2) and (3).

Paul Rowen

50

Schedule  1,  page  53,  line  30,  after ‘failure’, insert ‘including demonstrating that

failure was caused by a long-term or fluctuating mental health problem’.

John Mason

93

Schedule  1,  page  54,  line  45,  at end insert—

‘An action plan shall include details of any sanction that can be applied under the Act if

the person, without good cause, fails to comply with any of the activities in the action

plan.’.

Paul Rowen

51

Schedule  1,  page  59,  line  18,  at end insert ‘and circumstances where it can be

demonstrated that a person has left employment voluntarily because of an employer’s

failure to make reasonable adjustments concerning their mental health problems.’.

Paul Rowen

52

Schedule  1,  page  60,  line  39,  after ‘account’, insert ‘, including that person’s

mental health and any specific mental health needs that person may have’.

Public Bill Committee: 24 February 2009

74

Welfare Reform Bill, continued

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

22

Schedule  1,  page  66,  line  9,  at end insert—

‘23A	A statutory instrument containing regulations made by the Minister under Part

1 of Schedule 1 shall not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid

before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House.’.

Paul Rowen

43

Clause  7,  page  13,  line  12,   after ‘effect’ insert, ‘following the presentation of a

report concerning income support; and, such an order may not be made unless a draft of

a statutory instrument containing the order has been laid before, and approved by a

resolution of, each House of Parliament.’.

Paul Rowen

58

Clause  7,  page  13,  line  16,  at end insert—

‘(3A)

In exercising the powers contained in subsections (1) to (3) the Secretary of State

shall not require people caring for at least 35 hours per week who are receiving

income support to claim jobseeker’s allowance.’.

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

15

Clause  7,  page  13,  line  37,  leave out subsection (9) and insert—

‘(9)	A statutory instrument containing an order under this section shall not be made

unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before Parliament and approved by

a resolution of each House.’.

Paul Rowen

59

Clause  8,  page  14,  line  11,  at end insert ‘including any caring responsibilities.’.

Mr James Clappison

Mr Mark Harper

Mr John Baron

John Mason

78

Clause  8,  page  14,  line  11,  at end insert ‘including regard to that person’s mental

health and any specific mental health needs that person may have.’.

Meg Munn

76

Clause  8,  page  14,  line  15,  at end insert ‘; and

Public Bill Committee: 24 February 2009

75

Welfare Reform Bill, continued

(d)	must take into account—

(i)	any misunderstanding of the requirements to participate owing to

the nature of a participant’s learning disability, and

(ii)	the adequacy of support provided to any participant with a

learning disability to ensure they understood the requirements

placed upon them.’.

Paul Rowen

106

Clause  9,  page  14,  line  20,  leave out ‘, or have a propensity to misuse,’.

Paul Rowen

107

Clause  9,  page  14,  line  21,  leave out ‘or propensity’.

Paul Rowen

108

Clause  9,  page  14,  line  26,  at end insert—

‘(4)	For the purposes of Schedule 3 a person may be described as dependent on any

drug only if the person—

(a)	is a current user of that drug,

(b)	the person would experience physical or psychological withdrawal

without that drug, and

(c)	the person is unable to achieve voluntary, sustained control over their use

of that drug.’.

Paul Rowen

53

Page  14,  line  16,  leave out Clause 9.

Paul Rowen

109

Schedule  3,  page  69,  line  28,  at end insert—

‘(5)	Regulations under this paragraph may make provision for—

(a)	ensuring that the requirements imposed under this paragraph are fair and

reasonable,

(b)	ensuring that interviews under this paragraph are conducted at such time

and place as is appropriate for the disclosure of drug dependence,

(c)	support to be available to a person at the point of disclosure of a drug

problem, and

(d)	minimum qualifications and competencies of individuals who—

(i)	have been granted power under this Act to require individuals to

answer questions, or

(ii)	are required to conduct interviews under this part of the Act.’.

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Revised 24 February 2009