§ Mr. Andrew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many convictions were secured in each of the last five years for illegal employment of children.
§ Mrs. CurrieThe available figures are as follows:
Industrial Undertakings Prosecutions taken by the Health and Safety Executive under section 1 of the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act 1920 resulting in convictions Number 1983 3 1984 6 1985 6 1986 (January—March) 4 1986–87 (April—March) 9 1 Provisional. Agriculture
Information is not available in the form requested. Between 1977 and 1986 there were 241 convictions for offences against legislation which prohibits the involvement or employment of children in certain agricultural operations (the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and regulations under the Act).
Non-Industrial Undertakings Figures notified to the Home Office for convictions under Sections 18, 19 and 20 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 Number 1983 12 1984 9 1985 9 1986 2 Figures for 1987 are not yet available.
Information is not available centrally on convictions following proceedings brought by local authorities for breaches of byelaws under the Act.
§ Mr. Andrew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many staff are employed by his Department to check for illegal employment practices in relation to children; and how these staff are organised.
§ Mrs. CurrieResponsibility for the enforcement of legislation prohibiting and regulating the employment of children lies with the Health and Safety Executive and with local authorities.
712WThe Health and Safety Executive has powers under section 1 of the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act 1920 to take immediate action if a child is found to be working illegally in any industrial undertaking; and through its Agricultural Inspectorate to enforce legislation which prohibits the employment or involvement of children in certain agricultural operations.
The staffing of Her Majesty's Factory and Agricultural Inspectorates is a matter for the Health and Safety Commission and Executive. There are 542 inspectors in the Factory Inspectorate and 150 in the Agricultural Inspectorate: no inspectors deal exclusively with the illegal employment of children.
The Children and Young Persons Act 1933 prohibits the employment of children aged under 13 and restricts the part-time employment of children between 13 and 16. Local authority byelaws made under the Act place further restrictions on the hours and occupations of school-children's employment. Local authorities have powers which may be exercised through the education welfare service to enforce the byelaws. Some 3,000 education welfare officers are employed nationally. Their terms of employment are for agreement with individual local education authorities.