SOCIAL SECURITY 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 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 ”; 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 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