Is it not a lamentable fact ignored by Opposition Members that for far too long this country has had too many children growing up in workless households, which means bad outcomes for those children over the longer term? Will my right hon. and hon. Friends redouble their efforts to make the tax system as simple as possible and to create incentives for people to work and set a good example for their children?

Is it not a lamentable fact ignored by Opposition Members that for far too long this country has had too many children growing up in workless households, which means bad outcomes for those children over the longer term? Will my right hon. and hon. Friends redouble their efforts to make the tax system as simple as possible and to create incentives for people to work and set a good example for their children?

The right hon. Lady has made her point, but may I draw her attention to Lords amendment 2? It says:""Nothing in this section shall cause any financial sanction to be imposed in the case of a single parent with a child under five years of age."" That amendment was moved...

The right hon. Lady has made her point, but may I draw her attention to Lords amendment 2? It says:""Nothing in this section shall cause any financial sanction to be imposed in the case of a single parent with a child under five years of age."" That amendment was moved...

Yes, I shall certainly give way. The right hon. Lady has experience of these matters.

Yes, I shall certainly give way. The right hon. Lady has experience of these matters.

I think I was a little kinder than the hon. Lady in what I said about the value of affirmative resolutions. As a parliamentarian, I always welcome the affirmative procedure and argue in favour of it when considering Bills, but one needs a tinge of realism when discussing the subject....

I think I was a little kinder than the hon. Lady in what I said about the value of affirmative resolutions. As a parliamentarian, I always welcome the affirmative procedure and argue in favour of it when considering Bills, but one needs a tinge of realism when discussing the subject....

I think that we have been consistent about this matter. The Minister seems somewhat uncomfortable talking about sanctions affecting very young children, but I do want to ask him a question. There is not much between us otherwise, but why is it so important to have financial sanctions that can...

I think that we have been consistent about this matter. The Minister seems somewhat uncomfortable talking about sanctions affecting very young children, but I do want to ask him a question. There is not much between us otherwise, but why is it so important to have financial sanctions that can...

May I begin by welcoming the Minister to the proceedings on this Bill? He has obviously spent some time studying the provisions, and he will know from previous debates that we on this side of the House have expressed broad support for the Bill and its objectives. We support many...

May I begin by welcoming the Minister to the proceedings on this Bill? He has obviously spent some time studying the provisions, and he will know from previous debates that we on this side of the House have expressed broad support for the Bill and its objectives. We support many...

I shall now follow your strictures very seriously, Madam Deputy Speaker, and turn to the details of the order. The Minister mentioned a global figure for the uprating of £4 million. I have to ask about that, given the way in which things have gone missing recently. The Government Actuary's...

I shall now follow your strictures very seriously, Madam Deputy Speaker, and turn to the details of the order. The Minister mentioned a global figure for the uprating of £4 million. I have to ask about that, given the way in which things have gone missing recently. The Government Actuary's...

I shall stay on the subject of pension credit because it is extremely important. I am not sure whether the Minister, in his fairly lengthy opening remarks, outlined the full extent of the problem of pension credit take-up. According to a written parliamentary answer of 19 October 2007, total pension...

I shall stay on the subject of pension credit because it is extremely important. I am not sure whether the Minister, in his fairly lengthy opening remarks, outlined the full extent of the problem of pension credit take-up. According to a written parliamentary answer of 19 October 2007, total pension...

Perhaps we can discuss that general subject on another occasion. The important point in respect of the order is that up to 330,000 people were not claiming the guaranteed part of the credit—between 70 and 80 per cent. of the case load. That is extremely serious and we must surmise...

Perhaps we can discuss that general subject on another occasion. The important point in respect of the order is that up to 330,000 people were not claiming the guaranteed part of the credit—between 70 and 80 per cent. of the case load. That is extremely serious and we must surmise...

I do not know which is coming first, Madam Deputy Speaker—the stricture or the intervention. I shall take the intervention and wait to see what happens.

I do not know which is coming first, Madam Deputy Speaker—the stricture or the intervention. I shall take the intervention and wait to see what happens.

I am aware of your strictures, Madam Deputy Speaker, so I shall be brief. Many pensioners in my constituency and in many others—perhaps even the constituency of the hon. Member for South Swindon—wanted a general election last autumn to test these matters. The sooner the issues can be put to...

I am aware of your strictures, Madam Deputy Speaker, so I shall be brief. Many pensioners in my constituency and in many others—perhaps even the constituency of the hon. Member for South Swindon—wanted a general election last autumn to test these matters. The sooner the issues can be put to...

It is always a mistake to give cast-iron assurances in politics. I am pleased that the hon. Gentleman has so much interest in the next Government, and can give him the cast-iron assurance that it is beyond peradventure that I will not be the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the...

It is always a mistake to give cast-iron assurances in politics. I am pleased that the hon. Gentleman has so much interest in the next Government, and can give him the cast-iron assurance that it is beyond peradventure that I will not be the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the...

I think the hon. Gentleman will be good enough to recognise that I have given way quite a bit, including to him. I turn now to whether the operating changes relate to people and families living in poverty and severe poverty. According to a paper issued last year by the...

I think the hon. Gentleman will be good enough to recognise that I have given way quite a bit, including to him. I turn now to whether the operating changes relate to people and families living in poverty and severe poverty. According to a paper issued last year by the...

I have given way a lot, and time is limited—[Interruption.] I am being criticised by the hon. Member for Vale of Clwyd, to whom I have given way already. If the hon. Member for West Bromwich, West still has a burning question later, I shall give way then. I want...

I have given way a lot, and time is limited—[Interruption.] I am being criticised by the hon. Member for Vale of Clwyd, to whom I have given way already. If the hon. Member for West Bromwich, West still has a burning question later, I shall give way then. I want...

We have set out our objectives. The hon. Gentleman has actually been rather kind to the Government; I have been accused of attacking them. He has said that the target will not be met until decades to come, whereas I am simply asking when it will be met. The hon....

We have set out our objectives. The hon. Gentleman has actually been rather kind to the Government; I have been accused of attacking them. He has said that the target will not be met until decades to come, whereas I am simply asking when it will be met. The hon....

I was hoping the hon. Gentleman might throw some light on what the Chancellor of the Exchequer believes the take-up will be. As I said, we believe the system should be as simple as possible. We warned the Government against the complexity that they put in place in 2002, which...

I was hoping the hon. Gentleman might throw some light on what the Chancellor of the Exchequer believes the take-up will be. As I said, we believe the system should be as simple as possible. We warned the Government against the complexity that they put in place in 2002, which...

Well, the serious problem is that there are 330,000 pensioners who do not have it today, and that is what we should be debating. I noticed the words that the Minister used in his opening remarks. He said that he wanted to see more people claim pension credit, and that...

Well, the serious problem is that there are 330,000 pensioners who do not have it today, and that is what we should be debating. I noticed the words that the Minister used in his opening remarks. He said that he wanted to see more people claim pension credit, and that...

It gives me no great pleasure to recollect that I was one of those who served on the Committee that considered the State Pension Credit Bill during its passage through the House in 2002. If I had said to Ministers then that six years later their system would be so...

It gives me no great pleasure to recollect that I was one of those who served on the Committee that considered the State Pension Credit Bill during its passage through the House in 2002. If I had said to Ministers then that six years later their system would be so...

As the credit was created in 2002, I think that it is within the wit of the hon. Gentleman to know that it was created by the present Government, as a way of redirecting resources.

As the credit was created in 2002, I think that it is within the wit of the hon. Gentleman to know that it was created by the present Government, as a way of redirecting resources.

I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman debated that Bill and is going to tell me that I am wrong, but I will happily give way to him.

I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman debated that Bill and is going to tell me that I am wrong, but I will happily give way to him.