§ 9. Mr. Chris Pond (Gravesham)What evidence he has evaluated on links between truancy and unregulated term-time employment by children of school age. [55098]
§ The Minister for Employment, Welfare to Work and Equal Opportunities (Mr. Andrew Smith)My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has lead responsibility on employment of schoolchildren. A review of child employment law is currently being undertaken by officials from his Department, the Department for Education and Employment, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Cabinet Office and the Health and Safety Executive. Children may not, of course, be employed to work during school hours.
§ Mr. PondI thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. Is he aware that Gravesham secondary school heads have written to local supermarkets asking why students preparing for GCSEs and A-levels have been required to work 20 hours a week, and no less, or have no job at all, and that other students work overnight in residential care homes? Given that 4 per cent. of children of school age admit to truanting on some occasions in order to undertake paid employment, does my right hon. Friend agree that dealing with truancy and excessive hours of employment for children of school age should be at the heart of our crusade to improve standards in education?
§ Mr. SmithThe circumstances that my hon. Friend reports concern me. I will draw them immediately to the attention of local education authorities, so that education welfare officers can look into them. I shall also draw them to the attention of the review to which I referred earlier. The causes of truancy and the things that people do when they are truanting cover much more than employment. There is limited evidence that employment is a major factor in truancy, but where young people are working excessive hours or in dangerous or unsuitable conditions, that has to be stopped. We will ensure that action is taken.
§ Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham)While I acknowledge that the employment of schoolchildren must be strictly regulated by law, I hope that the Minister agrees that such regulation should not prevent them from undertaking safe work that boosts their finances and those of their families. When the Government decided to prohibit the use of children on milk rounds at the request of the National Child Employment Network, did civil servants or the network bother to ask any children or their parents what benefit they gained and how they might suffer in the absence of those rounds?
§ Mr. SmithThe important thing here is that some common sense is brought to bear. We recognise the benefits that young people derive from a proper amount 1390 of suitable work experience. There is not the evidence to show that sensible and appropriate work damages their educational accomplishment. I will certainly ensure that the issue that the hon. Gentleman raises is considered. Let us not lose sight of the fact that the Government are doing far more than our predecessors did to ensure that suitable preparation for work and sensible work experience forms part of the school experience for young people who can benefit from the opportunity to work.