HC Deb 21 March 1995 vol 257 cc133-4W
Mr. Alan Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to reinstate a scheme along the lines of learning for work for unemployed people who would benefit from full-time study. [15336]

Mr. Paice

Learning for work will not be replaced by another scheme. The Department, through training and enterprise councils and the Employment Service, provides a range of programmes and services to help unemployed people prepare for work. Training for work, career development loans, job clubs and restart courses all play an important part of this package of help.

Mr. Alan Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if part-time study by unemployed people will be a positive outcome of restart interviews. [15339]

Miss Widdecombe

It is appreciated that undertaking part-time education can enhance some clients' prospects of finding work in the longer term, so advisers will give advice and guidance on part-time education opportunities available and the implications for benefits. However, a client who starts part-time education following a restart interview is not counted towards the positive outcome targets unless he also leaves the unemployment register.

Mr. Alan Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if a course of study being undertaken by an unemployed person by the Employment Service is not exceeding 16 hours of guided learning will be disregarded in any further tests of availability for work. [15335]

Miss Widdecombe

People claiming jobseeker's allowance will be able to take part-time courses provided that they remain available for, and actively seeking, employment.

Courses of part-time study will not be disregarded by the Employment Service in availability for work tests.

After three months unemployment, the course will not of itself be grounds for finding someone unavailable for work, but it will continue to be the case that a jobseeker may not turn down or refuse to apply for a vacancy notified to him merely because it conflicts with his course of study.

Mr. Alan Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the new rule on hours of study will apply during the first three months of unemployment. [15337]

Miss Widdecombe

People claiming jobseeker's allowance will be able to take part-time courses provided that they remain fully available for, and actively seeking, employment. After three months unemployment, attending a part-time course will not of itself be grounds for finding someone unavailable for work, but it will continue to be the case that a jobseeker may not turn down or refuse to apply for a vacancy notified to him merely because it conflicts with his course of study.

Mr. Alan Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if people who were studying part-time while employed may be required under the rules for jobseeker's allowance to give up their courses on becoming unemployed. [15343]

Miss Widdecombe

People who become unemployed will be able to continue to study part-time within the rules of jobseekers allowance and receive benefit, so long as they remain available for, and actively seeking, employment.

Mr. Alan Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if study for a skill or qualification will be taken into account by the Employment Service under the rules for jobseeker's allowance, in judging the suitability of a job which an unemployed person may be directed to take. [15334]

Miss Widdecombe

The Employment Service does not set out to offer claimants unsuitable jobs, and employment officers may take into account a range of factors before notifying claimants of vacancies. However, jobseeker's allowance, like current unemployment benefits, will be for people whose first priority is to find a job. Study must not conflict with claimants' availability for work and active jobsearch and they will be liable to sanction if, without good cause, they refuse or fail to apply for a job that has been notified to them by an employment officer as vacant or about to become vacant. This does not mean that they must necessarily leave their course: it may be possible, because of the increasing flexibility of modern courses, to combine work and study. But it will continue to be the case that claimants may not turn down or refuse to apply for a vacancy notified to them merely because it conflicts with their course of study.

Mr. Alan Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if courses for the long-term unemployed funded from the European social fund and provided at present by training and enterprise councils, further education colleges, local authorities and voluntary organisations will be made exempt from the 1 6–hour limitation and the actively seeking work requirement brought within the training for work programme or in some other way. [15338]

Miss Widdecombe

Courses part-funded by the European social fund and run under training for work will be subject to the rules of that programme. People undertaking part-time courses part-funded by ESF while claiming jobseeker's allowance will be subject to the rules of JSA, which will include an upper limit of 16 guided learning hours per week in Further Education Funding Council funded courses and a requirement to be available for, and actively seeking, employment.