§ Mr. JenkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance his Department has issued to schools and local authorities regarding visits to farms by schools. [45282]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisThe Department wrote to schools and local education authorities in June 1997 with a checklist of the precautions they should take to ensure pupils' health and safety during visits to farms. A further reminder appears in the Department's more widely ranging draft guidance inThe Health and Safety of Pupils on Visits: A Good Practice Guide, on which we are currently consulting. We intend to publish the final version for schools this autumn. The Department was also involved in the preparation of Avoiding Ill Health at Open Farms: Advice to Teachers, an information sheet recently published by the Health and Safety Executive.