Viscountess Astorasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has considered the case brought to his notice of children from two years of age being employed to display clothing for export at shows arranged by a Government Department; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent very young children being employed in this way.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonThe organisation which arranged the display to which the Noble Lady refers is not a Government Department. I understand that the London County Council, the authority responsible for the administration, in their area, of the provisions regulating the employment of children have already drawn the attention of the organisation concerned to the provisions of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933, which prohibit the employment of children under the age of 12, and have warned them against any further infringement of these provisions.
Viscountess Astorasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that under Section 22 (2) of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933, the participation of children of any age in charitable clubs or similar performances is permitted without a licence; and what steps he proposes to take to amend the Act so as to prevent such exploitation of young children.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonThe law relating to children taking part in entertainments of a charitable nature was reviewed when the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933, was under consideration. The Section to which the Noble Lady refers imposes certain conditions especially by limiting the number of occasions on which a child can take part in such entertainments. I have no information to suggest that children are being exploited; but as I promised the House when the Education Bill was being discussed, the law relating to the employment of children is now under examination and the consideration of this particular Section will be included.