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Welfare Reform Bill

I am grateful to the Minister for that comment. One of the things that has always concerned me about prisoners and benefits is that they receive an allowance when they leave prison. One would have hoped that that was the first payment of their benefit, so that they could carry on from there. I have never understood why they come out of prison with their release allowance and then have to start the process of going to benefits, which inevitably leaves a gap. This is nothing particularly to do with the Bill but, in connection with how they are treated, it really could be investigated with advantage in view of the problems that it creates—particularly for women prisoners.