§ Mr. Naylorasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education 58W whether local education authorities will be permitted, when Clauses 1 to 4 of the Education Act, 1936, become operative, to grant employment certificates in respect to boys who are offered seven-year apprenticeships at the age of 14 years on the ground that such employment will be beneficial to the boy, and, in view of the principle involved, and the large number of cases that will arise in all parts of the country, will he take steps to secure uniform decisions on this point by local education authorities?
Mr. LindsayUnder Section 2 of the Education Act, 1936, the question of granting employment certificates for beneficial employment is to be considered by the local education authority in the light of the particular circumstances of each individual case, and the determination of the authority is to be final. The Board in a Circular, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy, has drawn the attention of local education authorities to the importance of co-operation with neighbouring authorities with the object of securing that the conditions under which employment certificates are granted are, so far as may be, similar.