§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason fish and chip shops may be classified under health and safety regulations as dangerous premises for the employment of young people under 16. [22304]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 11 December 2001]: The Children and Young Persons Act 1933, as amended, allows local authorities to introduce byelaws with respect to the employment of children. Such byelaws may prohibit the employment of children in any specified occupation. Local authority byelaws do prohibit children below the minimum school leaving age from working in commercial kitchens and may deem fish and chip shops to come into this category. It would be for individual local authorities to provide a definition of a commercial kitchen in relation to their own byelaws.