Mr. J. JONESasked the President of the Board of Education whether the decision of the Kent Education Authority to amend its Bye-laws to allow children to work in hopfields under suitable supervision and to permit children of school age to work more than five hours daily on such days as are not school attendance days was made under pressure from the Ministry of Health; and whether the policy of his Department is in harmony with that of the Ministry of Health on this question?
§ Mr. SHORTTMy right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. The answer to the question is, that the views of the two Departments on this matter were in entire agreement. I will send the hon. Member a copy of an 487W answer which was given last July to a similar question by the hon. Member for Dartford and which explains fully the grounds for confirming the bye-laws.