Making child employment in Britain more visible.

The lack of action on child employment by the British government following the 2004 recommendations by the Better Regulation Task Force is part of a broader pattern. In 1973, the Conservative government supported, but did not enact, an Employment of Children Act. In 1998, New Labour set up an interdepartmental enquiry into child employment legislation but did not act on its findings. National legislation requires local authorities to ensure the protection of school-aged workers, but few local authorities devote many resources to this responsibility. Apart from such periodic shows of activity, child workers generally remain `invisible' as far as central government is concerned. More policy-orientated research is required to help local authorities discover `best practice' for ensuring the welfare of this group of young workers.