§ Mr. Lofthouseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps, if any, he is taking to eliminate the necessity for people who have retired in accordance with an early retirement scheme to have to sign on at an employment exchange on a weekly basis.
§ Mrs. ChalkerA person who has retired early is not required to sign weekly at an unemployment benefit office, unless he wishes to claim unemployment benefit or national insurance contribution credits, in which case he must comply with the normal conditions regarding registration and availability for work which apply to other claimants. On 8 December 1978 the right hon. Member for Barrow-in-Furness (Mr. Booth) announced that the then Government were planning to extend the system of fortnightly attendance and payment of unemployment benefit to all offices from September 1979.—[Vol. 959, c.797–798.] We shall shortly be announcing our intentions regarding these proposals.