§ Baroness FISHER of REDNALMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to make regulations prescribing national conditions and arrangements governing part-time employment of children.
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, no timetable has been decided for making and introducing the regulations: this is being considered in the light of the resources available to implement them.
§ Baroness FISHER of REDNALMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that anomalies have arisen and have caused conflict between the local by-laws and the effect of the Education (Work Experience) Act 1973? Does the noble Lord consider that it would be a waste of time, energy and effort by the local authorities to amend their own by-laws when these will be superseded by Government regulations when the decision is finally made to bring the regulations into operation?
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, the Government agree with my noble friend in her comments and observations. We are alive to the difficulties and the fact that different local authorities are viewing matters in different ways. An effort has been made to consult a large number of organisations as to the best way to implement these matters. Perhaps I ought to say that the Government are 762 also consulting the Department of Education and Science and the Secretaries of State for the Scottish and Welsh Offices with a view to coming to some agreement, taking into account the resources which will need to be available to implement this, in order that something can be done without too much delay.
§ Baroness FISHER of REDNALMy Lords, would my noble friend agree that a considerable time has elapsed since the implementation of the Employment of Children Act? That Act was placed on the Statute Book in 1973. Would he agree with me that there is an urgency regarding the issue of the regulations as they really have a serious effect upon the workings of local authorities?
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, Her Majesty's Government recognise the urgency, but, as I pointed out, it will require a great deal more from the school health service and local authority staff to implement their regulations. That does not mean that we do not recognise the urgency; we are trying to do something, in the light of those difficulties, as quickly as possible.
§ Lord POPPLEWELLMy Lords, can my noble friend say—in view of the very long list of people and organisations who have been consulted—how many years it will be before the Government introduce the regulations?
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, there is abundant evidence that this Government move quickly.
§ Lord LEATHERLANDMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether he will tell his right honourable friend not to over-pamper the youngsters when these measures are introduced? Is he aware of the fact that many of them do much more good for themselves, and others, if they are working on a paper round, or in a similar occupation, at the age of 12 or 13 years than if they are playing around the streets with gangs of hooligans?
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, it is not working on a paper round that we are worried about; it is the other types of employment extending over long periods of time, not only at weekends but during school days.