The Government has offered assurances that it supports young people volunteering on heritage railways amid concerns that a century-old law makes it illegal.
Heritage railways such as the Severn Valley Railway want younger volunteers
The Bill would explicitly state that children aged 10 or over can volunteer on heritage railways, depending on certain criteria. “Many young persons seek to participate in these operations for the benefit of themselves as well as that of the operators. Unfortunately, the law states that those under compulsory school age are barred from working on heritage railways, even on a voluntary basis.”
Lord Younger referenced the Health and Safety Executive, and said: “In the case of heritage railways, the Office of Rail and Road is the regulator for health and safety legislation. Both regulators have confirmed that they would not enforce the 1920 Act solely to prevent young people from volunteering on heritage railways.
He added: “To repeal or amend the 1920 Act may seem initially the best course of action. However, because of the links to other legislation, the process of making changes would be extensive. And there is no evidence that this legislative change will make a difference to the number of young people volunteering, and therefore it is not proportionate to proceed with it.”
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