§ Mr. Ian McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what is her policy in respect of the continuing payment of jobseeker's allowance to people who have refused to take a job in the personal services industry; [7993]
(2) if she will include in the next set of jobseeker's regulations an explicit provision that no jobseeker should have his or her benefit refused or reduced for refusing to take a job in the personal services industry. [7994]
§ Mr. ForthI am satisfied that the legislation on refusal of employment already contains adequate safeguards. First a sanction can be imposed only when the opportunity of employment was notified to the jobseeker by a jobcentre adviser. Advisers will not suggest that people should apply for jobs that are obviously inappropriate, and Employment Service guidance is currently being strengthened to ensure that jobseekers are not submitted to undesirable or inappropriate vacancies. Secondly, no sanction is imposed if a jobseeker had good cause for refusing or failing to apply for an opportunity. Adjudication officers should take any relevant matter into account in deciding whether good cause was shown. Where appropriate, this must include the fact that the jobseeker refused the opportunity because of a sincerely held conscientious objection to the work concerned.