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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact (1) of the closure of youth service provision across the country, and (2) of the closure of youth services on the rise of knife and violent crimes.

Government recognises that the causes of youth crime are complex and are often tied to local factors. Local authorities allocate funding and deliver youth services in line with local need. The Government has made over £200bn available to local authorities to spend on local services over this Spending Review.

The Government is committed to making sure young people have opportunities to develop their skills and benefit from youth services, which are an important partner in the strategy to tackle the root causes of serious violence.

My department will continue to work closely with the Home Office on the implementation of the Serious Violence Strategy.