Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937

23 Failing to provide for safety of children at entertainments

(1) Where there is provided in any building an entertainment for children, or an entertainment at which the majority of the persons attending are children, then, if the number of children attending the entertainment exceeds one hundred, it shall be the duty of the person providing the entertainment to station and keep stationed wherever necessary a sufficient number of adult attendants, properly instructed as to their duties, to prevent more children or other persons being admitted to the building, or to any part thereof, than the building or part can properly accommodate, and to control the movement of the children and other persons admitted while entering and leaving the building or any part thereof, and to take all other reasonable precautions for the safety of the children.

(2) Where the occupier of a building permits, for hire or reward, the building to be used for the purpose of an entertainment, he shall take all reasonable steps to secure the observance of the provisions of this section.

(3) If any person on whom any obligation is imposed by this section fails to fulfil that obligation, he shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding, in the case of a first offence, fifty pounds, and in the case of a second or subsequent offence one hundred pounds, and also, if the building in which the entertainment is given is licensed under the [9 Edw. 7. c. 30.] Cinematograph Act, 1909, or under any of the enactments relating to the licensing of theatres and of houses and other places for music or dancing, the licence shall be liable to be revoked by the authority by whom the licence was granted.

(4) A constable may enter any building in which he has reason to believe that such an entertainment as aforesaid is being, or is about to be, provided, with a view to seeing whether the provisions of this section are carried into effect, and an officer authorised for the purpose by an authority by whom licences are granted under any of the enactments referred to in the last foregoing subsection shall have the like power of entering any building so licensed by that authority.

(5) It shall be the duty of the council of any county or burgh to institute proceedings for any contravention of this section in a building within such county or burgh.

(6) This section shall not apply to any entertainment given in a private dwelling-house.