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Welfare Reform Bill

My Lords, I understand that and I say to the noble Baroness, Lady Thomas, that none of us wants to see vulnerable mothers or children without protection or safeguards in this process. That is why, as the noble Baroness will know, we have put exemptions in the whole birth registration process, so that if mothers fear for their safety or that of their children, they can use the exemptions. I was simply referring to what the department feels is a lack of hard evidence that the birth registration system is linked to the possibility of violence.