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Proceeding contribution from Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws (Labour) in the House of Lords on Monday, 22 June 2009. It occurred during Committee proceeding and Debate on bill on Welfare Reform Bill.


Welfare Reform Bill

I should also like to pick up on that and the Minister can answer us both at the same time. The reason why training to help deal with discretion is being raised is because we know that although the police around the country have been urged to take domestic violence seriously, there are huge variations in response to this and huge variations, despite training, in how the police deal with domestic violence. Unfortunate failures have led to terrible events. It is very hard for those who have never themselves had any close dealings with domestic violence to understand its impact. Are the Government confident that even training such people will deal with that? In the courts, judges, lawyers and the police have great difficulty. We still struggle to have this understood by all those players in this area. The idea that people in jobcentres up and down the country will understand well enough to exercise discretion in a favourable way is something about which we have profound concerns. Perhaps the Minister has an answer to that.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
711 c373GC 
Session
2008-09
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords Grand Committee
Subjects
Staff Disability Childcare Carers Advisory services Childminding Women Employment Jobseeker's allowance Income support Jobcentres Domestic abuse Interviews Income Jobcentre Plus Earnings rules Home education Mental illness Medical treatments Pilot schemes Parents Lone parents Social security benefits Social security Welfare tax credits Schools Special educational needs Training Unemployed people Labour market Employment and support allowance
Legislation
Welfare Reform Bill 2008-09
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk