XN000022-1972-08-02 — Page 5

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Wednesday, August 2, 1972

URGENT CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION FOR CONTROL OF NURSERIES

The Director of Social Welfare, the Hon. G.T. Rowe, told the

Legislative Council today that urgent consideration was being given to the

introduction of legislation requiring all residential and day nurseries,

and creches, to register with the Social Welfare Department.

They would also be required to comply with certain standards relating

to accommodation, health and safety measures, and the qualifications of the

staff.

Mr. Rowe, who was replying to a question by the Hon. Mrs. Joyce

Symons, stressed that legislation was not a simple matter, and by itself,

could achieve nothing. If it were otherwise, it "would have been introduced

years ago.

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He explained that it was clearly necessary also to make certain

of the means for implementing any such legislation by providing in the first

place, for "a competent and qualified inspectorate to undertake regular inspection

of all such nurseries and creches, and to advise and assist in the maintenance

of the necessary standards."

Secondly, it would be necessary to provide for the training of

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nursery workers on a large scale because it would be impossible to insist

on standards for nursery workers if no such training facilities were available.

A third point was the involvement of more departments than one in

such legislation, in relation to the maintenance of health and safety

standards.

Accordingly, he advised the Council that full implementation of

control measures might take some time, but they were being pursued "as a

matter of urgency."

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