HC Deb 21 December 1982 vol 34 c484W
Mr. Kinnock

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will amend the regulations for unemployment benefit in order that adult unemployed people can have access to full-time education without loss of benefit.

Mr. Rossi

If an unemployed person who undertakes a course of full-time education has the requisite contribution record, and satisfies the independent adjudicating authorities that he remains available for work, he may be entitled to unemployment benefit. Thus full-time education is not, in itself, a bar to receiving unemployment benefit, though it is of course a factor which may call a person's availability for work into question. I do not consider that unemployment benefit is an appropriate form of provision for people who are not available for work. We have no plans to alter the law in this respect.