(1)The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for or in connection with the participation of claimants for a jobseeker’s allowance in schemes of any prescribed description, being schemes established for designated areas in Great Britain (or for the whole of Great Britain) and designed to assist such persons to obtain sustainable employment.
(2)Regulations under this section may, in particular, make provision—
(a)for the imposition during any prescribed period, as additional conditions for entitlement to a jobseeker’s allowance applying in the case of persons participating in schemes, of requirements to take steps determined in accordance with the regulations with a view to improving those persons' prospects of securing employment;
(b)for the suspension, during any prescribed period, of any prescribed conditions that would otherwise apply to such persons.
(3)Regulations under this section may make provision for any provisions of the [1995 c. 18.] Jobseekers Act 1995 to apply for the purposes of the regulations subject to prescribed modifications.
(4)The provisions of that Act which may be so applied include in particular any provisions of—
(a)section 19 or 20A (circumstances in which jobseeker’s allowance is not payable); or
(b)section 20 or 20B (exemptions from section 19 or 20A).
(5)The Secretary of State may for the purposes of, or in connection with, any scheme—
(a)make such arrangements (whether or not with other persons) for the provision of any facilities,
(b)provide such support (by whatever means) for arrangements made by other persons for the provision of any facilities,
(c)make such payments—
(i)by way of fees, grants, loans or otherwise, to persons undertaking the provision of facilities under arrangements within paragraph (a) or (b),
(ii)by way of grants, loans or otherwise, to persons participating in the scheme, or
(iii)in respect of any incidental expenses,
as he considers appropriate.
(6)For the purposes of, or in connection with, a scheme established for (or for an area which includes) Wales or a part of Wales, the National Assembly for Wales may, if it considers that facilities whose provision any person (including the Secretary of State) is undertaking under arrangements within subsection (5)(a) or (b) are capable of being supportive of the training of persons for employment, make such payments to that person as the Assembly considers appropriate; and any such payments—
(a)may be by way of fees, grants, loans or otherwise, and
(b)may, unless the Assembly otherwise specifies, be used by the person to whom they are made for the provision of any of the facilities provided under the arrangements.
(7)In subsections (5) and (6) “facilities” includes services, and any reference to the provision of facilities includes the making of payments to persons participating in the scheme.
(8)The power of the Secretary of State to make an order under section 26 of the [1988 c. 19.] Employment Act 1988 (status of trainees etc.) shall include power to make, in relation to—
(a)persons participating in any scheme, and
(b)payments received by them by virtue of subsection (5) above,
provision corresponding to any provision which (by virtue of subsection (1) or (2) of that section) may be made in relation to persons using such facilities, and to such payments received by them, as are mentioned in subsection (1) of that section.
(9)In this section—
“designated” means designated by the Secretary of State;
“employment” has the meaning given by regulations under this section;
“prescribed” means specified in or determined in accordance with regulations under this section;
“scheme” means a scheme such as is mentioned in subsection (1).