Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to increase the provision of youth centres.

This government is investing £500 million over five years through the new Youth Investment Fund. The fund will be used to build new youth centres, refurbish existing youth facilities, provide mobile facilities for harder to reach areas, and invest in the youth work profession and frontline services.

Government is also funding up to £7 million this financial year through the Youth Accelerator Fund that will expand existing successful projects delivering positive activities, and address urgent needs in the youth sector. The charity UK Youth have launched a small grants programme to distribute funding to deliver extra sessions in youth clubs and youth groups across England.