Member

As the noble Lord, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, said, the Office of Rail and Road already works with the Heritage Railway Association to make sure that effective health and safety risk assessments are in place. They behave responsibly and it is fair to say that this amendment comes from a place of good stewardship and good intention on their part. In fact, I understand there are already many heritage railways that are excellent examples of running youth volunteer schemes very successfully. Last year, the Talyllyn railway in north Wales won the Heritage Railway Association team of the year award for its work with families and young volunteers. The volunteers are known as “Tracksiders” and work in supervised groups on projects such as painting, fencing, clearing undergrowth, building and maintaining footpaths and supporting events held on the railway.