§ 57. Mr. Whiteasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he has any information as to the extent to which employers have decided not to employ young persons under the age of 15, in view of the coming into force of the appointed day under the Education Act, 1936?
Mr. LindsayI understand that a number of employers have decided not to employ children under the age of 15, but the Board have no information of the extent to which this has been done.
§ 58. Mr. Gordon Macdonaldasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education the number of children for whom provision has been made in the Lancashire County Council area as the result of raising the school-leaving age on 1st September next; the number of applications for exemptions; and how many of these were granted?
Mr. LindsayThe policy of the Lancashire County Council is to provide for all children between the ages of 11 and 15 in reorganised senior schools. There are 47,000 children of these ages in the county area. Before the passing of the Education Act, 1936, 19,000 places had been provided in reorganised senior schools, and since that date about 14,000 additional places have been or are in course of being provided. It is expected that the remainder of the senior school places required will be provided in the next three years. In the meantime accommodation is available in departments which also take younger children for those children of 11 to 15 for whom senior school places are not yet available. I understand that no applications for employment certificates under the 1936 Act have yet been received by the authority.