§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will amend the condition of qualification for unemployment and supplementary benefit to enable full-time students to qualify even if for considerable parts of the year they are not able to satisfy the availability for work criteria; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. ChalkerNo. It is a long-standing and fundamental condition for receipt of unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit that an unemployed person must be capable of and available for work. Full-time students cannot normally satisfy this condition during term-time because of their educational commitments.