WORKING CHILDREN AT RISK

Early day motion 152, tabled 20 November 2006 by Joan Walley (Labour). Signed by 57 members.

That this House notes that 607 school age children were injured at work in 2004-05 according to the Health and Safety Executive; condemns the Government's decision to abandon all but one of the proposals in the 2004 Better Regulation Task Force report to improve workplace safety for the under-16s; further notes the report sought to streamline the confusing morass of local and national laws governing the employment of children; further notes that according to the TUC under-16s rarely have work permits or risk assessments as required by the Children and Young Persons Act 1933; is concerned that this lack of oversight can lead to children working in dangerous, unsuitable circumstances; further notes that a 15-year old boy lost his hand in machinery whilst working in a shop in Oldham on 16th September; and calls on the Government to implement the findings of the 2004 Better Regulation Task Force by consolidating child employment legislation and introducing a system of registration in which employers register with their local authority as an employer of school age children, rather than applying for a permit for each child employee.

Signatures by party: Labour 39, Liberal Democrat 10, DUP 5, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Plaid Cymru 1.