§ Mr. RooneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if Employment Service staff based in jobcentres will take adjudication decisions on benefit sanctions for claimants of jobseeker's allowance. [27101]
§ Mr. ForthAll adjudication decisions on jobseeker's allowance will be made by independent adjudication officers. Decisions on the refusal of a jobseeker on principle to enter into a jobseeker's agreement, decisions connected with training schemes or employment programmes under section 19(5)(b) of the Jobseekers Act 1995 and decisions on the failure of a jobseeker to attend an Employment Service interview as required will normally be made by those independent officers located in jobcentres. All other labour market adjudication decisions will be made in centralised locations. We will in due course consider whether more independent adjudication will take place in jobcentres.