HC Deb 30 June 1995 vol 262 cc816-7W
Mrs. Clywd

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will detail the powers of entry available to local education authority child employment officers; and what plans she has to strengthen and extend such powers. [31707]

Mr. Robin Squire

Section 28(1) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 provides for a local authority to apply to a justice of the peace for an order to give child employment officers powers of entry. This legislation is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health. I understand that she has no plans to strengthen or extend this power.

Mrs. Clywd

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she intends to make funds available to local education authorities in England and Wales specifically to carry out their statutory duty to protect school age children at work. [31708]

Mr. Squire

Central Government set the overall framework for the funding of local authority services nationally. It is for each local education authority to determine its own priorities for expenditure. Funding for Wales is a matter for the Welsh Office.

Mrs. Clywd

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment she has made of the work of the child employment departments in Birmingham and North Tyneside in enforcing legislation designed to protect school age children. [31712]

Mr. Forth

None.

Mrs. Clywd

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will instruct all local education authorities to adopt the system of enforcing legislation designed to protect school age children at work in use in Birmingham and North Tyneside. [31709]

Mr. Squire

It is for individual local education authorities to consider how best to fulfil their statutory duties in this area in the light of local circumstances.