§ Mr. ArcherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what information is available to his Department on(a) the number of children engaged in milk rounds, (b) the extent to which such work begins before 7 am and (c) the proportion of such children in possession of a permit along the lines recommended in departmental guidance in 1976;
(2) what information is available to his Department on (a) the number of children engaged in the regular delivery of newspapers or other similar material, (b) the extent to which such work begins before 7 am and (c) the proportion of such children in possession of a permit along the lines recommended in departmental guidance in 1976;
(3) what information is available to his Department on (a) the number of children engaged in commercial kitchens, (b) the extent to which such work ends after 7 pm and (c) the proportion of such children in possession of a permit along the lines recommended in departmental guidance in 1976;
(4) what information is available to his Department on (a) the number of children engaged in the picking or preparation of fruit or vegetables, (b) the extent to which such work exceeds 25 hours per week, and (c) the proportion of such children in possession of a work permit along the lines recommended in departmental guidance in 1976;
(5) what information is available to his Department on (a) the number of children engaged in outwork, and (b) the proportion of such children in possession of a permit along the lines recommended in departmental guidance in 1976;
(6) what information is available to his Department on (a) the number of children engaged in the retail sector, (b) the extent to which such work ends after 7 pm, (c) the extent to which the total hours worked per day exceeds that recommended in departmental guidance in 1976 and (d) the proportion of such children in possession of a permit along the lines in that guidance;
(7) if he has any plans to introduce legislation to provide for the right of entry of education welfare officers to premises where they have reason to believe that children are working illegally;
(8) if he has any plans to seek to amend section 18 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 with respect to 85W (a) the minimum permitted age of employment, (b) the earliest or latest hours of the day or (c) the total number of hours on school days or Sundays on which such employment is permitted.
§ Mrs. CurrieI regret that information is not available on the number of children engaged in specific occupations, nor on the number who hold permits (usually known as employment cards). Nearly all local authority byelaws provide for the issue of permits as recommended in departmental guidance of 1976.
The Children and Young Persons Act 1933 prohibits the employment of children over 13 before 7 am or after 7 pm and for more than two hours on any school day or Sunday. The 1933 Act and the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act 1920 restrict the occupations in which children may be engaged. The Department's guidance issued in 1976 recommends that further restrictions on hours and occupations be provided for in local authority byelaws made under the 1933 Act including, for example, the prohibition of work in commercial kitchens and the restriction of employment of children under 15 to no more than 25 hours during school holidays.
The overriding aim of the legislation and byelaws is that children may only be employed to the extent that their health, education and general welfare do not suffer. Local authorities have powers, exercised through the education welfare service, to enforce the byelaws; and under section 59 of the Education Act 1944 to prohibit and restrict the employment of any child.
Education welfare officers (EWOs) can warn and bring charges against employers if the Education Act and bye-laws are infringed; section 59 of the 1944 Act empowers local education authorities to require information from parents and employers. If an EWO suspects that a child is employed in premises to which the EWO has no right of entry, in an occupation which is prohibited under the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act 1920, he can alert the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The HSE has powers to take immediate action if a child is found to be working illegally in any industrial undertaking. EWOs also liaise where appropriate with social services departments which have statutory duties and powers to investigate circumstances in which children may be at risk.
We consider that the safeguards which exist in legislation and byelaws to protect children from exploitation at work are generally adequate; we have no plans to amend the legislation.