Berlin, Sept 8, SPA -- German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said Wednesday that if unpopular planned social welfare cutsfail to boost the country's lagging economy, his governmentwould amend the reforms. Schroeder stood by the government's plan, saying thegovernment wouldn't back down on benefit cuts for thelong-term unemployed before they have been introduced atthe beginning of next year. "I believe we really need to take time to very carefullyexamine the effects . . . and to be ready to takecorrective action if there are effects that the law didn'taim for," he told the lower house in the firstparliamentary debate on the government's 2005 budget. But, he added, "to me, it's absolutely wrong to talkabout changes to the reform beforehand."--SPA1508 Local Time 1208 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/199383