The Employment Zones (Amendment) Regulations 2006

Statutory Instruments

2006 No. 1000

SOCIAL SECURITY

The Employment Zones (Amendment) Regulations 2006

Made

30th March 2006

Laid before Parliament

3rd April 2006

Coming into force

24th April 2006

These Regulations are made in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 60(1), (2) and (9) and 83(4) and (6) of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999(1).

The Social Security Advisory Committee has agreed that proposals in respect of these Regulations should not be referred to it(2).

Accordingly the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Employment Zones (Amendment) Regulations 2006 and shall come into force on 24th April 2006.

Amendments to the Employment Zones Regulations 2003

2.—(1) The Employment Zones Regulations 2003(3) shall be amended in accordance with the following provisions.

(2) In regulation 1(2)—

(a) in the definition of “Employment Zones Regulations”, after the words “Employment Zones (Allocation to Contractors) Pilot Regulations 2005” insert the words “and the Employment Zones (Allocation to Contractors) Pilot Regulations 2006(4)”;

(b) for the definition of “ New Deal for Young People programme” substitute—

““New Deal for Young People programme” means a programme provided in pursuance of arrangements made by the Secretary of State under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1973(5) and specified in regulation 75(1)(a)(i)(bb) (Gateway to Work), 75(1)(a)(ii) (the Self-Employed Employment Option, the Voluntary Sector Option or the Environment Task Force Option of New Deal) or 75(1)(b)(ii) (the Full-Time Education and Training Option of New Deal) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996.”.

(3) In regulation 2—

(a) before paragraph (1) insert—

“(1) This regulation applies to a claimant—

(a) who is ordinarily resident within an employment zone, or

(b) whose address for payment of his jobseeker’s allowance is located within an employment zone.”;

(b) renumber the existing paragraph (1) as (1A);

(c) in that renumbered paragraph, for the words “ordinarily resident within an employment zone” substitute “to whom this regulation applies”;

(d) in paragraph (2), for the words “who is ordinarily resident within an employment zone” substitute “and to whom this regulation applies”;

(e) after paragraph (2) add—

“(3) The employment officer shall notify the claimant in writing that he is required to participate in the employment zone programme.

(4) A claimant to whom paragraph (1A)(c) or (2)(c) applies shall be treated as having completed so much of an employment zone programme for the purposes of regulations 4 and 5 as is equal to the period of his previous participation in the employment zone programme.”.

(4) For regulation 3 substitute—

“Early Entry to an employment zone programme

3.— (1) An employment officer may direct a claimant who is aged 25 years or over to participate in an employment zone programme where—

(a) the claimant has asked to participate in an employment zone programme;

(b) his personal circumstances place him at a significant disadvantage in obtaining employment; and

(c) he is ordinarily resident within an employment zone or his address for payment of his jobseeker’s allowance is located within an employment zone.

(2) An employment officer may direct a claimant who is aged 18 years or over but less than 25 years to participate in an employment zone programme where—

(a) the claimant has asked to participate in an employment zone programme;

(b) his personal circumstances place him at a significant disadvantage in obtaining employment;

(c) he has participated in a New Deal for Young People programme; and

(d) he is ordinarily resident within an employment zone or his address for payment of his jobseeker’s allowance is located within an employment zone.

(3) The employment officer shall notify the claimant in writing that he is required to participate in the employment zone programme.”.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Margaret Hodge

Minister of State,

Department for Work and Pensions

30th March 2006

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Employment Zones Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/2438) (“the 2003 Regulations”) which make provision for jobseeker’s allowance claimants to participate in an employment zone programme established by the Secretary of State in areas of Great Britain known as “employment zones” to assist jobseekers to obtain sustainable employment.

Regulation 2 provides for references to “Employment Zones Regulations” to include the Employment Zones (Allocation to Contractors) Pilot Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/962), amends the definition of “New Deal for Young People programme” to include the Gateway to Work provision, amends regulation 2 and substitutes regulation 3. The amendments to regulation 2 provide for a jobseeker who does not have a fixed address to participate in the employment zone programme where the address for payment of his jobseeker’s allowance is within an employment zone and makes provision for time previously spent on an employment zone programme to be taken into account. The substituted regulation 3 requires a jobseeker aged under 25 to have taken part in a New Deal for Young People programme before applying for early entry to an employment zone programme.

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

(1)

1999 c. 30; subsection (9) is an interpretation provision cited for the meaning given to the words “employment” and “prescribed”.

(2)

See sections 170 and 173(1)(b) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992; section 84(1) of and Schedule 12, Part II (paragraphs 79 and 81(a)) to the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 added that Act to the list of “relevant enactments” in respect of which regulations must normally be referred to the Committee.

(3)

S.I. 2003/2438 as amended by S.I. 2004/1043 and S.I. 2005/1744.

(4)

S.I. 2006/962

(5)

1973 c. 50; section 2 was substituted by section 25(1) of the Employment Act 1988(c. 19).