Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of arts and culture programmes on reducing and preventing youth crime.

The Ministry of Justice recognises the important role that arts and culture can play in engaging children and supporting positive outcomes.

Evidence from the 2025 publication by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, ‘The effects of arts and culture programmes on youth crime: A rapid review’ shows that, whilst the current evidence base is limited, arts and culture programmes can help improve young people’s wellbeing, confidence, relationships and engagement with services. These are all factors associated with a reduced risk of future offending.

This year, the Government is providing more than £100 million of investment in Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) across England and Wales, including through the early intervention Turnaround programme. This gives YOTs the flexibility to use and commission arts and culture interventions where they judge this may be most effective in helping a child’s rehabilitation.