The Employment Zones (Allocation to Contractors) Pilot Regulations 2004

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make provision for a pilot scheme for jobseeker’s allowance claimants who fulfil the criteria in regulation 3 or 4 and are selected to participate in an employment zone programme with a particular employment zone contractor.

The six areas of Great Britain designated as employment zones for the purpose of these Regulations are located in Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool and Sefton, the London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham, the London Boroughs of Brent, Camden, Haringey and Westminster and the London Borough of Southwark. The areas are described in a designation signed by authority of the Secretary of State. The designation is available for inspection at the offices of the Secretary of State at Richmond House, 79, Whitehall, London SW1A 2NS. Copies can be obtained from the Partnerships, Unemployed, Skills and Hardest to Help Division, Department for Work and Pensions, Room N1108, Moorfoot, Sheffield S1 4PQ. The list is published on the internet at www.employmentzones.gov.uk

Regulation 1 provides for citation and for the Regulations to come into force on 26th April 2004. The Regulations will expire on 25th April 2005 unless revoked earlier.

Regulation 2 defines terms used in the Regulations.

Regulation 3 specifies those people who may be selected by an employment officer to participate in an employment zone programme with a particular employment zone contractor. Subject to certain conditions, these are jobseeker’s allowance claimants who are aged 25 years or over who live within an area designated as an employment zone and jobseeker’s allowance claimants who are aged 18 years or more but under 25 years of age who have participated in the programme of assistance for such jobseekers known as ‘New Deal for Young People’ and who live in an area designated as an employment zone.

Regulation 4 makes provision for certain jobseeker’s allowance claimants who are at a significant disadvantage in the labour market to voluntarily apply to an employment officer for selection to participate in an employment zone programme with a particular employment zone contractor.

Regulation 5 sets out the two stages of an employment zone programme.

Regulation 6 makes provision for certain conditions for entitlement to a jobseeker’s allowance relating to availability for work, a jobseeker’s agreement and actively seeking work to be suspended whilst people are participating in an employment zone programme.

Regulation 7(1) provides that regulation 75(1)(a)(iii) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/207) shall apply to people selected on a sampling basis to participate in an employment zone programme with a particular contractor in accordance with these Regulations. The effect is to enable a sanction to be imposed under section 19 or 20A of the Jobseekers Act 1995 if a person without good cause refuses or fails to participate in an employment zone programme with a particular employment zone contractor. Where a person informs the Secretary of State of a change of address and thus is no longer ordinarily resident in, or his address for payment is no longer in, an employment zone paragraph (2) provides that if a sanction has been incurred it shall end and the Regulations shall cease to apply except where a person who has already begun an employment zone programme requests to be allowed to complete that programme.

A full regulatory impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument because it has no impact on the costs of business.