§ Mr. Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne, Central)It is my honour to hand in a petition from the citizens of Newcastle upon Tyne concerning the jobseeker's allowance. The petitioners extend to the House the normal courtesies of this occasion and go on to say:
that the introduction of the jobseekers allowance has been disastrous for the unemployed people of the United Kingdom where one in five households of working age have no work, the worst record of the major economies.And wherefore your petitioners pray that the jobseekers allowance should be abolished, and be replaced by a fairer system that recognises that unemployed people have a right to be treated with dignity and not coerced into low paid, temporary or part-time work and your petitioners in duty bound will ever pray etc.The petition is signed by Councillor Gerard Nugent, Councillor William Dodds, Councillor Sheila Spencer, Mr. Fred Copley and some other 1,000 citizens of Newcastle upon Tyne.
§ To lie upon the Table.