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I was thinking more of unemployed people who do not have children to look after, Howard. I doubt that Gov. would do what Barry suggests. If applying the new law, I reckon they would make sure that the people who are singled out are not parents.
Most people without work and on benefits probably have basic qualifications, and would not be expected to work as managers, unless they worked their way up.
The most likely kind of work that one would expect to be offered is in factories, in agriculture, and in the retail industry.
There are plenty of people working in shops and supermarkets, mainly women; I think the major problem is in factoriues and farm-work, where people are not required to know much English but are expected to render maximum physical energy.
My view is that Gov. should introduce a 20 hour a week policy for those who are unemployed and without experience and out of routine, and realisticly realise that basic training in a factory or on farms does not require much time or great learning efforts.
So, if the minimum wage is £5.93 an hour, it would be better to keep housing benefits for 20 hours a week work for the minimum wage, and pay £120 a week in return for the 20 hours work.
The fact is, though, that many employers in factories and on farms prefer the work-agency kind of contract, where there are no guarantees, and people are usually expected to have their own transport to get to a factory or to farms.
This must discourage many British people, as many have little chance of having one penny left over once rent, shopping, car and petrol are paid, as 40 hours a week on minimum wage offers just that and not a penny more!
The fact that redundancy guarantees and sickness benefits have been wiped out of the work-agency contract leaves us with the bare facts, that Barry and others belonmg to two different classes, hence Barry can afford to make statements as above!