Overview

This bill aims to allow young people to volunteer on heritage railways and tramways in the UK, overriding existing laws that might otherwise prevent this.

Description

The Heritage Railways and Tramways (Voluntary Work) Bill legalizes unpaid voluntary work by young people on heritage railways and tramways. It clarifies that existing employment laws restricting young people's work do not apply to this specific context.

Key Definitions:

• "Heritage railway" and "heritage tramway" are defined as per the Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority for Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems) Regulations 2006.
• "Voluntary work" means unpaid activity (except for travel or other expenses) benefiting either the heritage railway/tramway directly or the young person (even if the railway/tramway incidentally benefits).
• "Young person" is defined similarly to "child" in the Education Act 1996, but with a minimum age of 12 for work directly benefiting the railway/tramway and 10 for work primarily benefiting themselves.

The bill applies to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland and comes into effect immediately upon being passed.

Government Spending

This bill is not expected to have a significant impact on government spending. No specific figures are provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

• Young people (aged 10 and above): This bill directly benefits them by allowing volunteering opportunities on heritage railways and tramways.
• Heritage railways and tramways: They will benefit from the additional volunteer support.
• Relevant authorities (e.g., Health and Safety Executive): May need to adapt their guidelines to accommodate the changes introduced by the bill.

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