Welfare Reform Bill

Debate between Baroness Thomas of Winchester and Lord Skelmersdale

Wednesday 26th October 2011 Grand Committee

[Lord Skelmersdale]

My Lords, having been wonderfully rude about the first probing amendment of the noble Lord, Lord McKenzie, I am going to do exactly the opposite now because I regret that he announced that this was a probing amendment. This is the widest power that I have seen for many years in any potential Act of Parliament. Paragraph (d) of Clause 19(2) states that,

“the claimant is of a prescribed description”.

Subsections (3) and (4), which relate to the subsequent amendments as the noble Lord has explained, include the word “may”. However, if “may” is included, “may not” would also be included. The phrase that sprang to mind was, “How wide is the ocean; how deep is the sea?”. I actually think that for once the Merits Committee has not gone far enough; nor, as I said, has the noble Lord.

[Baroness Thomas of Winchester]

My Lords, just to correct my noble friend Lord Skelmersdale, it was the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee, not the Merits Committee.

[Lord Skelmersdale]

Yes, my Lords, I am sure it was.