---

Welfare Reform Bill

I had hoped that I had been as clear as it was possible to be. Let me try again. It is for the parent, and the parent alone, to decide whether the services offered by any particular childcare provider are suitable for their child. It is the parent’s choice. Jobcentre Plus or an external provider cannot force a parent to send their child to any particular provision, but if there is a good provision in an area that is available to a parent, if a parent seeks to argue the lack of appropriate childcare as a reason for not carrying out a direction, there has to be a process for Jobcentre Plus or the decision-maker asking, "Was that reasonable in all circumstances?". But neither the decision-maker nor the Jobcentre Plus adviser can say, "You must send your child to this particular provision". We know that lone parents in particular are keen to access the labour market and want to use the good provision that is available. As we discussed on Tuesday, there may be some who are adamant that they will not use any form of provision as a means of not complying with the Bill and existing welfare legislation. But in the end this is about not only rights but responsibilities as well. That is the thrust of the legislation.