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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the review his Department has launched into statutory guidance for local authorities on providing youth services, whether his Department has undertaken an impact assessment on funding for youth services.

Local authorities are responsible for allocating public funding to youth services in their area. We believe they are best placed to know what is required in their communities. To increase opportunities for young people to benefit from open access youth services and youth social action, Government is investing £80 million, in partnership the National Lottery Community Fund, through the Youth Investment and #iwill Funds.

A public call for evidence as part of the review of the guidance which sets out the statutory duty placed on local authorities to provide appropriate local youth services will be announced in due course. We expect that the review will provide greater clarity of Government’s expectations, including the value added by good youth work.