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The Committee notes the Government’s report and the documentation showing in particular a widening of the scope of labour inspection activities. It also notes the information provided in response to its previous comments, in particular its general observation of 1999 concerning the activity of the inspection services in connection with combating child labour.

1. Widening the scope of labour inspection activities. Noting with interest the annual Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) report for 1999-2000 concerning monitoring of the 1999 regulations establishing for the first time a national minimum wage, the Committee hopes that, following the wishes previously expressed by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), legal provisions on working conditions will also be adopted in other fields and relevant information on monitoring their implementation will be communicated in an annual report, as provided for by Articles 20 and 21. In this regard, the Committee would point out that the annual inspection report concerning health and safety at work has not been communicated by the prescribed deadline and it would be grateful if the Government would adopt measures to ensure regular transmission of such a report.

2. Child labour. Noting that a permit-based system has been established with regard to the employment of children below the compulsory school-leaving age, that the employment of children in factories and on construction sites is prohibited and that there are additional specific regulations concerning the risks of exposure to ionizing radiations and hazardous substances in particular, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate what steps have been taken to ensure that labour inspectors and other officials can effectively seek out and take action against hidden cases of illegal child labour.

Noting that in 2000 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) commissioned research into the issue of child labour across England, Scotland and Wales and that the study’s interim conclusions recommended that the structure of the system should be maintained, with the inclusion of certain improvements in practice, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide, as it proposes, a copy of the final conclusions of the study when it is published and report on the measures taken following the recommendations resulting therefrom.