Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Youth Services: Funding

Thursday 16 October 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Liz Twist welcomed the Government's work on the national youth strategy and their investment in youth services.
  • The Government aims to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to youth services to better cater to young people from different backgrounds.
  • Shockat Adam highlighted the benefits of youth services in reducing knife crime and antisocial behaviour, saving the country 500 million a year.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Liz Twist Lab Blaydon and Consett
Education Children & Families
Context

The Member welcomes the Government's work on the national youth strategy but is seeking further clarification.

Question

I welcome the Government’s work on the national youth strategy and their investment in youth services so far. How do they expect the move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to benefit young people from different backgrounds in my constituency and in general?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for all her work. In our youth strategy, we will set out the next steps to invest in the future of our young people. We want to better co-ordinate youth services and move away from a one-size-fits-all approach from central Government. In short, we want to put power back in the hands of young people and their communities.

Answered
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Q2 Shockat Adam Ind Leicester South
Community Security Children & Families
Context

The Member highlights the benefits of youth services and raises concerns about a recruitment and retention crisis affecting workers.

Question

Youth services deliver huge benefits to our community, both socially and economically, reducing knife crime and antisocial behaviour and, in turn, saving the country £500 million a year. Yet the clubs that I meet in my constituency, including Wesley Hall youth club and Eyres Monsell club for young people, tell me that there is a real recruitment and retention crisis in the sector. With over 4,500 workers leaving in the past decade, what measures is the Minister taking to address this issue?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)

The hon. Member is absolutely right to outline the importance of youth services, particularly in the prevention of knife crime and other issues. Of course, we saw a 73% reduction in real-terms spending over the last 14 years under the Conservative Government. We will not be able to reverse that overnight, but that is why we look forward to our youth strategy, which will be published by the end of the year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific measures to address recruitment and retention crisis were not detailed

How: Looking Forward, Will Publish

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