§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 22 March,Official Report, column 247, what will be the maximum number of hours unemployed people receiving the jobseeker's allowance will be able to undertake on training and education courses provided by those independent European social fund courses not directly funded by the Further Education Council; and if he will make a statement. [19724]
§ Miss WiddecombePeople claiming jobseeker's allowance will be able to undertake part-time courses, provided they remain available for and actively seek employment. That carries forward existing arrangements. The rules will, however, be updated to reflect changes in education definitions. Until recently, further education courses were classed by colleges as full or part time, with a threshold of 21 hours per week of supervised study, which could include some private study. Each case was looked at on its merits. This system has now changed, however, and courses funded by the Further Education Funding Council are organised on the basis of guided learning hours. The JSA rules will take account of this change and claimants will be able to undertake FEFC-funded courses of up to 16 guided learning hours per week. Jobseekers will be able to undertake private study in addition to this, as long as they remain available for work and are actively seeking employment. This is designed to allow the same number of claimants to undertake courses as do so under the current arrangements. There will be no such change for courses that are not funded by the FEFC, including any funded by the European social fund. For these, the upper limit will generally continue to he 21 hours per week, with, as now, each case being decided on its merits.