§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health with what frequency inspections are carried out on body piercing and tattooing establishments; what the nature of such inspections is; and by whom they are carried out. [173810]
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§ Miss Melanie JohnsonLocal authorities inspect body piercing and tattooing businesses in relation to the hygiene and cleanliness of premises, practitioners and equipment, and health and safety at work issues. The frequency of such inspections is a matter for local determination and we do not collect information on this centrally.
§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what regulations are in place to prevent children aged under 16 years obtaining body piercings and tattoos without their parents' consent; and if he will make a statement. [172043]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 12 May 2004]: There is no statutory age of consent for body piercing. Minors are able to give valid consent themselves if they are capable of understanding the nature of the act to be done. A statutory minimum age of consent for tattooing (18 years of age) is specified in the Tattooing of Minors Act 1969.
The Government have no current plans to introduce legislation to provide for a statutory age of consent for body piercing as this might lead to minors piercing themselves or each other in an unhygienic manner, or to go into disreputable businesses. We keep the position under review.
The Health and Safety Executive has produced guidelines for local authorities on the enforcement of skin piercing activities. These contain useful advice for local authorities in working with businesses to promote a reasonable approach to age of consent issues.