Children and Young Persons Act 1963

37 Restriction on persons under 16 taking part in public performances, etc. E+W+S

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, a child shall not take part in a performance to which this section applies except under the authority of a licence granted by the local authority in whose area he resides or, if he does not reside in Great Britain, by the local authority in whose area the applicant or one of the applicants for the licence resides or has his place of business.

(2) This section applies to—

(a) any performance in connection with which a charge is made (whether for admission or otherwise);

(b) any performance in licensed premises within the meaning of [F1 the M1 Licensing Act 1964] or [F2 the M2 Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976] or in premises in respect of which a club is registered under [F2 the said Act of 1964 or the said Act of 1976];

(c) any broadcast performance;

[F3 [F4 (d) any performance not falling within paragraph (c) above but included in a programme service (within the meaning of the Broadcasting Act 1990);]

(e) any performance recorded (by whatever means) with a view to its use in a broadcast or such a service or in a film intended for public exhibition;]

and a child shall be treated for the purposes of this section as taking part in a performance if he takes the place of a performer in any rehearsal or in any preparation for the recording of the performance.

(3) A licence under this section shall not be required for any child to take part in a performance to which this section applies if—

(a) in the six months preceding the performance he has not taken part in other performances to which this section applies on more than three days; or

(b) the performance is given under arrangements made by a school (within the meaning of the M3 Education Act 1944 or the M4 Education (Scotland) Act 1962) or made by a body of persons approved for the purposes of this section by the Secretary of State or by the local authority in whose area the performance takes place, and no payment in respect of the child’s taking part in the performance is made, whether to him or to any other person, except for defraying expenses;

but the Secretary of State may by regulations made by statutory instrument prescribe conditions to be observed with respect to the hours of work, rest or meals of children taking part in performances as mentioned in paragraph (a) of this subsection.

(4) The power to grant licences under this section shall be exercisable subject to such restrictions and conditions as the Secretary of State may by regulations made by statutory instrument prescribe and a local authority shall not grant a licence for a child to take part in a performance or series of performances unless they are satisfied that he is fit to do so, that proper provision has been made to secure his health and kind treatment and that, having regard to such provision (if any) as has been or will be made therefor, his education will not suffer; but if they are so satisfied, in the case of an application duly made for a licence under this section which they have power to grant, they shall not refuse to grant the licence.

(5) Regulations under this section may make different provision for different circumstances and may prescribe, among the conditions subject to which a licence is to be granted, conditions requiring the approval of a local authority and may provide for that approval to be given subject to conditions imposed by the authority.

(6) Without prejudice to the generality of the preceding subsection, regulations under this section may prescribe, among the conditions subject to which a licence may be granted, a condition requiring sums earned by the child in respect of whom the licence is granted in taking part in a performance to which the licence relates to be paid into the county court (or, in Scotland, consigned in the sheriff court) or dealt with in a manner approved by the local authority.

(7) A licence under this section shall specify the times, if any, during which the child in respect of whom it is granted may be absent from school for the purposes authorised by the licence; and for the purposes of the enactments relating to education a child who is so absent during any times so specified shall be deemed to be absent with leave granted by a person authorised in that behalf by the managers, governors or proprietor of the school or, in Scotland, with reasonable excuse.

(8) Any statutory instrument made under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words substituted by virtue of Licensing Act 1964 (c. 26), Sch. 14 para. 1

F2 Words substituted by virtue of Interpretation Act 1978 (c. 30), s. 17(2)(a)

F3 S. 37(2)(d)(e) substituted by Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984 (c. 46, SIF 96), s. 57(1), Sch. 5 para. 12 (which is repealed by Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42, SIF 96), s. 203(3), Sch. 21 the repeal being in force subject as mentioned in art. 3(3) of S.I. 1990/2347)

F4 Para. (d) substituted by virtue of Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42, SIF 96), s. 203(1), Sch. 20 para. 6

Marginal Citations

M1 1964 c. 26.

M2 1976 c. 66.

M3 1944 c. 31.

M4 1962 c. 47.