57.—(1) The Department 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 Northern Ireland (or for the whole of Northern Ireland) and designed to assist such persons to obtain sustainable employment.
(2) Regulations under this Article 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 Article may make provision for any provisions of the[1995 NI 15.] Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 to apply for the purposes of the regulations subject to prescribed modifications.
(4) The provisions of that Order which may be so applied include in particular any provisions of—
(a)Article 21 or 22A (circumstances in which jobseeker’s allowance is not payable); or
(b)Article 22 or 22B (exemptions from Article 21 or 22A).
(5) The Department or the Department of Economic Development 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 sub-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 that Department considers appropriate.
(6) In paragraph (5) “facilities” includes services, and any reference to the provision of facilities includes the making of payments to persons participating in the scheme.
(7) The power of the Department of Economic Development to make an order under Article 4 of the[1988 NI 10.] Employment and Training (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 (status of trainees) shall include power to make, in relation to—
(a)persons participating in any scheme, and
(b)payments received by them by virtue of paragraph (5), provision corresponding to any provision which (by virtue of that Article) may be made in relation to persons using such facilities, and to such payments received by them, as are mentioned in paragraph (1) of that Article.
(8) In this Article—
“designated” means designated by the Department;
“employment” has the meaning given by regulations under this Article;
“prescribed” means specified in or determined in accordance with regulations under this Article;
“scheme” means a scheme such as is mentioned in paragraph (1).