BOSSES flouting child employment laws, and policies which force hospitals to run as businesses, both came under fire at a meeting of the Blackpool Trades Union Council.

Delegates were also told of the need for peace campaigners to be able to put their case alongside British Aerospace in schools.

Top of the agenda was the ward closure at Blackpool Victoria Hospital because of lack of cash. Councillor Michael Carr, himself a member of the hospital trust board, told the meeting: "The trust is in financial difficulties and there have been overspends in the past two financial years."

He added it was wrong that projects like the Eurofighter could overspend by billions of pounds without question while hospitals had to struggle to make up relatively small deficits.

Meanwhile, president Royston Jones called for the resignation of British Aerospace chairman Sir Richard Evans following the disclosure that BAe-built Hawks had been used by the Indonesian military in East Timor.

He added that BAe had built up links with Fylde schools, helping to provide computer equipment, but under the terms of the 1996 Education Act there should be a balanced presentation of controversial issues in schools. "In other words, somebody should be allowed to put the other side," he said.

Finally, there were calls for prosecutions, not just warnings, for offenders who employ children illegally

Senior vice president Mick Martin said: "Blackpool Borough Council should be congratulated on the lead it has taken in enforcing the laws on employment of schoolchildren. But I would like to see some prosecutions if the inspectors come across breaches of this legislation."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.