Green Paper Blues

Andy Walker, Secretary of Ilford South CLP, reports on the Welfare Green Paper.

The Welfare Green Paper is published by the Stationary Office Ltd, a private company born from a Tory privatisation. Profits for the private sector should not be made out of producing government publications. The Green Paper is silent on this point. Unfortunately, this is not the only piece of Tory ideology it accepts without question.

The paper uses the word "dependency" to the degree one might expect of a medical textbook on persistent vegetative state. Like patients who do not respond to treatment, New Labour is prepared to let young unemployed people starve if they will not accept the medicine of workfare. What condemns people to unemployment is governments which refuse to intervene in the economy to create jobs, not "fecklessness" to be solved by quack remedies.

Millbank is keen for the paper to be discussed widely. An indication of the preferred limits of the consultation is given by this statement regarding mutuals and private providers: "In 2020, these providers will deliver a substantial share of welfare provision, particularly pensions." Legal and General have a different timetable; in their view, stakeholder pensions should not only be substituted for SERPS but for the state basic pension as well. Responses from CLPs calling for state expenditure to create work and no privatisation of welfare will influence forthcoming legislation.

The consultation deadline is 31st July 1998. Responses should be sent to The Welfare Reform Green Paper Consultation Team, Department of Social Security, 7th Floor, The Adelphi, 1-11 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6HT.

Free summary versions are available from: Welfare Reform, Freepost (HA4441), Hayes UB3 1BR. The Green Paper costs £11.50 and is available by phoning 0345-023 474.

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