§ Mr. SPOORasked the President of the Board of Education how many authorities have prohibited by bye-laws the employment of children attending elementary schools; on what grounds sanction was given by the Home. Office; and if in certain cases such sanction has been refused by the Home Office, what are the reasons for such refusal?
§ Mr. SHORTTI have been asked to answer this question. There is no power to sanction bye-laws prohibiting all employment of school children. There is power to sanction prohibition of employment in specified occupations and to regulate and restrict employment generally, and a number of codes of bye-laws on these lines have been submitted by local authorities and are being dealt with as rapidly as possible.