Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of local authorities licensing young performers absent from schools for performing engagements; and of how that licensing regime will be impacted under the provisions of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.

The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.

The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.

Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that young performers are safeguarded under the proposed registration requirement in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.

The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.

The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.

Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of provisions in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on the ability of young performers to request absences from school for performances.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.

The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.

The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.

Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to manage the sharing of information regarding children who perform as part of the process of ensuring compliance with regulatory restrictions.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.

The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.

The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.

Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how safeguarding provisions for young performers absent from school for work will operate following the enactment of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.

The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.

The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.

Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to ensure that the provisions of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill do not prevent young performers from contributing to the creative industries.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.

The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.

The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.

Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.