§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether claimants in receipt of unemployment benefit are entitled to undertake training or courses of education as long at they are available for work; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardClaimants in receipt of unemployment benefit are required to be both available for work and actively seeking employment. This need not prevent them from undertaking training or courses of education. Regard is had to time spent in participating in any course of vocational training or study in deciding whether a claimant has shown that he is actively seeking employment. This arrangement recognises the worthwhile efforts of many claimants to make good use of their time whilst unemployed. Nonetheless, any claimant pursuing such an activity must organise his affairs in such a way that he can make adequate efforts to seek paid employment.