Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what consideration he has given to the involvement of young people with politics and their potential disenfranchisement following the social media ban.

Young people represent the future of our country. The Government believes young people must be seen and heard and that ambition is at the heart of major government priorities including Votes at 16. The Government committed in its manifesto to increasing the engagement of young people in our vibrant democracy, by giving 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all UK elections. We want to build and encourage long-lasting engagement with our democracy. Early engagement by younger voters will build the foundations for their lifetime participation in our electoral processes. The government’s decision to ban social media companies from offering their services to under 16s reflects the fact that they have repeatedly failed to keep children safe online.

Social media is not the only – nor always the most reliable – source of high-quality news content. Young people will continue to have access to political information from a wide range of trusted sources, including schools and colleges, the Electoral Commission and other impartial organisations. There will also be a defined list of exemptions, including, for example, educational services.

We are working across Government and with stakeholders to consider how best to support democratic education ahead of the franchise extension. This includes strengthening democracy education and media literacy in the national curriculum.

In addition, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has also established the Democratic Engagement Fund to support politically neutral projects that help people understand, engage with and participate in democracy.