PL
Department of Health and Social Security
Alexander Fleming House Elephant and Castle London SE1 6BY
DHSS
Telex 22106
LP1
HR G Hurst Esq
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
LONDON
SWIA 2AH
Telephone 01-407 5522 ext 6099
Your reference
Our reference
LA/C417/14B
Date
23 August 1976
Dear Mr Hurst
Mr MacKenzie, of the Department of Employment, has passed me your letter of 3 June 1976 about the cutting from the Times referring to allegations of illegal child labour in this country in an article in the Russian press, and your undertaking to compare the legislation of the United Kingdom on the employment of children with that of Hong Kong.
2 Firstly, all employment in industrial occupations is prohibited to children
under compulsory school leaving age. This is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive, and no doubt Mr KacKenzie will be able to give you any information about this that you may want, or to pass on your enquiry to the Safety Executive.
? This Department is concerned with the legislation covering the part-time
employment of children below compulsory leaving age in non-industrial employment not covered by other statute. The minimum age of employment, as laid down in the Children Act 1972 is 13, although children under that age may be employed by their parents in light-agricultural or horticultural work, and, subject to many restrictions in artistic performances. The children and their employers have to comply with detailed restrictions on the hours and conditions of employment laid down in section 18 of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933 and local education authority by-laws made under that section, and section 34 of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1963. The restrictions are designed to safeguard the children's health, education and general welfare. The main legislation prohibits the employment of children before seven o'clock in the morning and after seven o'clock in the evening, for more than two hours on any school day, for more than two hours on Sunday, and in any work which might be likely to cause injury. The by-laws differ from authority to authority, but may be more restrictive eg they may not allow children under the age of 14 to be employed, and may prohibit employment in a number of occupations and altogether on Sundays. They also limit the hours children can work on Saturdays and in the school holidays the maximum that is allowed generally being 5 hours a day subject to a maximum of 25 hours a week for children under 15, and 8 hours a day subject to a maximum of 35 hours a week for children of 15 and over.
4 Under the Employment of Children Act 1973 the Secretary of State is empowered
to replace the existing local by-laws on the employment of children by national regulations which will introduce standard conditions of employment throughout
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