§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action he(a) has taken and (b) intends to take following the judgment in the case of Chief Adjudication Officer (Respondent) v. Stafford and another (Banks) (Appellant) given in the House of Lords on 29 June 2001. [39460]
§ Malcolm WicksWe have been considering carefully the terms of the judgment, which confirmed that term-time workers are not eligible for Jobseeker's Allowance. A change in the law to extend eligibility to term-time workers would not necessarily be appropriate, given that Jobseeker's Allowance is intended to support those who are out of work and looking for a job rather than those in employment. We shall nevertheless continue to consider this matter, in the light of the judgment and other possible means of support.