§ Lords amendment: No. 27, in page 14, line 31, leave out subsection (4)
§ Mr. Keith BradleyI beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said amendment.
Mr. Deputy SpeakerWith this, it will be convenient to discuss Lords amendments Nos. 28 to 30 and 71.
§ Mr. BradleyLords amendments Nos. 27, 28, 29 and 30 clarify the circumstances in which entitlement to benefit may be terminated following a suspension of payment of benefit. Clause 22 contains provisions to suspend payment of benefit when a doubt arises about whether a person is entitled to benefit, and to terminate entitlement following suspension. The intention has always been that entitlement will terminate only when someone fails to comply with an information requirement that the Secretary of State imposes to resolve the issue that led to the suspension. The amendments make that limitation explicit in the Bill, in response to concerns expressed in another place.
Lords amendment No. 71 relocates clause 59 into the section of the Bill dealing with "benefits". Currently, the clause is incorrectly located in the section of the Bill dealing with "contributions". The amendment rectifies a technical error in the current draft of the Bill.
I commend the amendments to the House.
§ Lords amendment agreed to.
§ Lords amendments Nos. 28 to 30 agreed to.