Overview

This bill aims to legally permit young people to volunteer on heritage railways and tramways in the UK, overriding existing legislation that might otherwise restrict their involvement.

Description

The Heritage Railways and Tramways (Voluntary Work) Bill seeks to amend existing employment laws to explicitly allow young people to undertake voluntary work at heritage railways and tramways. Currently, legislation like the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act 1920 could be interpreted to prevent this. This bill clarifies that this is not the intention.

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, excluding travel or other expenses, aimed at either benefiting the heritage railway/tramway directly or benefiting the young person, even if the railway/tramway also indirectly benefits.
• "Young person" means a child as defined by the Education Act 1996, but must be at least 12 for work directly benefiting the railway/tramway and 10 for work primarily benefiting themselves.

The bill's geographic scope includes England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and it would come into force immediately upon being passed.

Government Spending

This bill is not expected to have a significant impact on government spending as it primarily removes legal restrictions rather than creating new programs or funding initiatives. No specific figures are provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

• Young people (aged 10+): This bill directly benefits them by enabling volunteer opportunities on heritage railways and tramways.
• Heritage railways and tramways: They could benefit from increased volunteer support, potentially leading to cost savings and improved operations.
• Relevant regulatory bodies: Their responsibilities may be slightly altered by the clarification provided in this bill.

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