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Welfare Reform Bill

I, too, support the amendment. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, for bringing it to our attention. The noble Lord uses the term "user friendly". This is complex legislation and the people entrusted with the task of providing a service have to be effectively trained in order to provide it. I know from such contact as I have had that it is a tough job now working in jobcentres. I can recall jobcentres where there are barriers to prevent people leaping over and assaulting the staff. Often the staff have to deal with dissent, various problems and so on. Quite obviously a degree of training will be necessary in order to cope with this extensive and complicated legislation. Exemptions will have to be dealt with, and by the time that we have finished with this legislation in Committee and on Report there may be even more exemptions. There has to be a training programme that enables those who are responsible for putting it into operation, so that they can provide the service that we all expect them to deliver. I support this amendment and hope that my noble friend the Minister will accept it either in this form or in another appropriate form.