Welfare Reform Bill (Programme) (No. 2)

Stephen Timms Excerpts

Monday 13th June 2011 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Timms (East Ham) (Lab)]

I take issue somewhat with the Minister. I do not agree that there has been adequate time in Committee to consider the Bill, not least because on more than one occasion Ministers left early, before we had completed our first afternoon discussion. Consequently, a number of key issues, particularly new clauses, were left undebated when the Committee ended, and as a result, some of those are on the Order Paper today.

With that backlog, as well as other key points in the Bill, I am very concerned that the two days now available are likely to be insufficient for the debate that is needed. Given that inadequate time, however, the knife proposed in the Government’s programme motion is in a perfectly sensible place. Because we need to get on with the debate I shall not seek to divide the House on the motion, but I am concerned that, as will become clear during the debate, the House will not have had sufficient time to consider properly the full consequences of the Bill.

Question put and agreed to.

[Mr Speaker]

The Orders of the Day will now be read by the Clerk, Dr Sir Malcolm Jack.