Employment of Women, Young Persons, and Children Act 1920

1 Restrictions on the employment of women, young persons, and children in industrial undertakings. U.K.

(1) No child shall be employed in any industrial undertaking.

F1 (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2

[F3 (4) Where persons under the age of sixteen years are employed in any industrial undertaking, a register of all persons under that age who are so employed, and of the dates of their birth, shall be kept and shall at all times be open to inspection.]

F1 (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6) This section, so far as it relates to employment in [F4 mines and quarries within the meaning of the M1 Mines and Quarries Act 1954], and factories and workshops, shall have effect as if it formed part of [F4 the M2 Mines and Quarries Act 1954], and [F5 the M3 Factories Act 1961], respectively, and the provisions of those Acts relating to registers to be kept thereunder shall apply to the registers required to be kept under this Act.

F6 . . ..

In the case of employment in any place other than the places aforesaid F6 . . .

[F7 (a) The following provisions, namely—

(i) sections 21(1) and (2) and 28(1) and (3) of the Children and Young Persons Act M4 1933,

(ii) sections 31(1) and (2) and 36(1) and (3) of the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act M5 1937, or

(iii) sections 39(1) and (3) to (5) and 45(1), (3) and (4) of the Children and Young Persons Act (Northern Ireland) M6 1968,

shall have effect in relation to the employment of a child in an industrial undertaking in contravention of this Act as they have effect in relation to the employment of a child in contravention of Part II of that Act of 1933, of Part III of that Act of 1937 or of Part III of that Act of 1968, as the case may be; and]

F8 (b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c) If any person being the employer of a [F9 person under the age of sixteen years] fails to keep such a register so required to be kept by him as aforesaid, or refuses or neglects when required to produce it for inspection by an officer of a local authority under the said Act, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds [F10 level 2 on the standard scale]; and

F8 (d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F11

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 1(2)(5) repealed (1.5.1995) by Merchant Shipping Act 1970 (c. 36), s. 100(3), Sch. 5 (with Sch. 4); S.I. 1995/965, art. 2, Sch. and subject to an amendment to s. 1(2) (prosp.) by 1998 c. 31, ss. 112(2), 145(3) (with ss. 138(9), 144(6))

F2 S. 1(3) repealed by Employment Act 1989 (c. 38, SIF 43:1), ss. 10(1)(a), 29(4), Sch. 7 Pt. III

F3 S. 1(4) substituted by Employment Act 1989 (c. 38, SIF 43:1), s. 10(2), Sch. 3 Pt. III para. 1

F4 Words substituted by virtue of Mines and Quarries Act 1954 (c. 70), Sch. 4

F5 Words substituted by virtue of Factories Act 1961 (c. 34), Sch. 6 para. 1

F6 Words repealed (1.5.1995) by Merchant Shipping Act 1970 (c. 36), s. 100(3), Sch. 5 (with Sch. 4); S.I. 1995/965, art. 2, Sch.

F7 S. 1(6)(a) substituted by Employment Act 1989 (c. 38, SIF 43:1), s. 29(3), Sch. 6 para. 1(a)

F8 S. 1(6)(b)(d) repealed (1.5.1995) by Merchant Shipping Act 1970 (c. 36), s. 100(3), Sch. 5 (with Sch. 4); S.I. 1995/965, art. 2, Sch.

F9 Words substituted by Employment Act 1989 (c. 38, SIF 43:1), s. 29(3), Sch. 6 para. 1(b)

F10 Words substituted by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46, and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), s. 289G and (N.I.) by S.I. 1984/703 (N.I. 3) arts. 5, 6

F11 S.I(6)(e) repealed by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1978 (c. 45), Sch. 1 Pt. VIII

Marginal Citations

M1 1954 c. 70.

M2 1954 c. 70.

M3 1961 c. 34.

M4 1933 c.12 (20).

M5 1937 c.37 (20).

M6 1968 c.34 (N.I.).

2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F12 U.K.

Textual Amendments

F12 S. 2 Repealed (E.W.)(S.) by Employment of Women and Young Persons Act 1936 (c. 24), s. 5(3)(4)

3 Savings. U.K.

(1) The provisions of this Act shall be in addition to and not in derogation of any of the provisions of any other Act restricting the employment of . . . F13 , . . . F14 children.

(2) Nothing in this Act shall apply to an industrial undertaking or ship in which only members of the same family are employed.

(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F15

Textual Amendments

F13 Words repealed by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1978 (c. 45), Sch. 1 Pt. VIII

F14 Words repealed by Employment Act 1989 (c. 38, SIF 43:1), s. 29(4), Sch. 7 Pt. III

F15 Ss. 3(3), 5(2) repealed by Statute Law Revision Act 1927 (c. 42)

4 Interpretation. U.K.

In this Act—

• . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F16

• The expression “young person” means a person who has ceased to be a child and who is under the age of eighteen years;

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F17

• The expression “industrial undertaking” has [F18 the meaning assigned to it by Part I], . . . F19 of the Schedule to this Act;

• The expression “ship” means any sea-going ship or boat of any description which is registered in the United Kingdom as a British ship and includes any British fishing boat entered in the fishing boat register.

Textual Amendments

F16 Definition repealed by (E.W.) Education Act 1944 (c. 31), Sch. 9 Pt. I and (S.) Education (Scotland) Act 1945 (c. 37), Sch. 6

F17 Definition repealed by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1978 (c. 45), Sch. 1 Pt. VIII

F18 Words substituted by Employment Act 1989 (c. 38, SIF 43:1), s. 29(3), Sch. 6 para. 2

F19 Words repealed by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1978 (c. 45), Sch. 1 Pt. VIII

5 †Short title and commencement. U.K.

(1) This Act may be cited as the Employment of Women, Young Persons, and Children Act 1920.

(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F20

Textual Amendments

F20 Ss. 3(3), 5(2) repealed by Statute Law Revision Act 1927 (c. 42)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Unreliable marginal note