HC Deb 29 November 1920 vol 135 cc1032-4

(1) No child shall be employed in any industrial undertaking.

(4) This Section, so far as it relates to employment in coal mines, metalliferous mines and quarries, and factories and workshops, shall have effect as if it formed part of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, the Metalliferous Mines Regulation Acts, 1872 and 1875, and the Factory and Workshops Acts, 1901 to 1911, respectively; and the provisions of those Acts relating to registers to be kept there under shall apply to the registers required to be kept under this Act.

In the case of employment in any place other than the places aforesaid—

  1. (a) If any person employs a child or a young person in contravention of this Act, he shall be deemed to have employed a child or young person in contravention of the Employment of Children Act, 1903, and Sub-sections (1) and (2) of Section five and Section six and Section eight of that Act shall apply accordingly as if they were herein re-enacted and in terms made applicable to children and young persons within the meaning of this Act; and
  2. (b) If any person being the employer of a young person fails to keep such a register so required to be kept as aforesaid, or refuses or neglects when required to produce it for inspection by an officer of a local authority under the said Act, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds; and

Amendments made: At the end of Subsection (1) insert a new Sub-section— (2) No child shall be employed in any ship except to the extent to which and in the circumstances in which such employment is permitted under the Convention set out in Part IV. of the Schedule to this Act.

At the end of Sub-section (3) insert a new Sub-section— (5) There shall be included in every agreement with the crew entered into under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, a list of the young persons under the age of sixteen years who are members of the crew, together with particulars of the duets of their birth, and, in the case of a ship in which there is no such agreement, the master of the ship shall, if young persons under the age of sixteen years are employed therein, keep a register of those persons with particulars of the dates of their birth and of the dates on which they become or cease to be members of the crew, and the register so kept shall at all times be open to inspection.

In Sub-section (4) after the word Act [kept under this Act"] insert the words— This Section, so far as it relates to employment in a ship, shall have effect as if it formed part of the Merchant Shipping Acts, 1894 to 1920.

In Sub-section (4), after the word aforesaid [other than the places aforesaid"], insert the words or in any ship."

In Sub-section (4, a), after the word person [a young person in contra vention"], insert the words in any industrial undertaking.

At the end of Sub-section (4, a), insert a new paragraph— (b) If any child is employed in any ship in contravention of this Act, the master of the ship shall be liable for each offence to a fine not exceeding forty shillings or, in the case of a second or subsequent offence, not exceeding five pounds, and where a child is taken into employment in any ship in contravention of this Act on the production, by or with the private of the parent, of a false or forged certificate or on the false representation of his parent that the child is of an age at which such employment is not in contravention of this Act, that parent shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding forty shillings.

In Sub-section (4, b), after the word kept, insert the words by him.

At the end of Sub-section (4, b), insert a new paragraph— (d)If the master of a ship fails to keep such a register so required to be kept by him as aforesaid, or refuses or neglects when required to produce it for inspection by an officer of the Board of Trade or any other person having power to enforce compliance with the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Acts, 1894 to 1920, he shall be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds; and.—[Mr. Shortt.]