PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
CHILD LABOUR AND THE WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION (12 November 1996)

That this House takes note of the new report by the International Labour Organisation revealing that the number of children under the age of 14 years who work is now 250 million, double existing estimates; expresses concern that amongst these children are one million in Asia who are commercially exploited for sex purposes, that children as young as three work in factories producing matches and fireworks and that children working on farms are more likely to die from exposure to biological and chemical agents than from diseases such as malaria, diphtheria, polio, whooping cough or tetanus; welcomes the call for a new ILO convention eradicating child slavery, bonded and forced labour; supports the efforts by the United States of America and other governments to have the issue of child labour and trade discussed by the World Trade Organisation; and condemns the Government's efforts to veto European Union efforts to have the WTO discuss the growing world scandal of child labour.

Sponsored by:
Mr Denis MacShane (Labour)