The government's policies on child workers are putting work experience opportunities for youngsters under threat, according to the Federation of Small Business (FSB).

Under new regulations, small businesses would be liable to put their employees under enhanced checks through the Criminal Records Bureau which cost £64 per person.

Because of the way this regulation operates, this could mean that the supervisor in charge of the scheme could be the one to undergo the check or in some companies all of the supervisors who will come into contact with the student may have to pay the £64 charge, the FSA says.

John Wright, national chairman of the federation, claims that the requirement "totally contradicts" what the government is saying about encouraging entrepreneurship.

'The intentions of the scheme are of course absolutely sound, but there must be a way of protecting young people who may be at risk without diminishing the opportunities of thousands of school pupils every year,' he comments.

The FSB is an organisation with 210,000 members which represents the interests of small business in Britain.