Daily roundup 26 May: Youth votes, mental health and obesity

The chair of the British Youth Council has called on the government to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in a planned referendum on EU membership. In an open letter to Prime Minister David Cameron, Mita Desai cites the “successful precedent in the vote for Scottish independence” and calls for young people to be included in the “historic vote” on whether Britain exits the EU.


The Welsh government has boosted funding for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) by £7.6m. The BBC reports that the additional funding, up 18 per cent on last year's budget of £42.8m, will be used to improve areas of concern including out-of-hours help and access to psychological treatment including out-of-hours help and access to psychological treatment.


Efforts to tackle obesity are “failing” because babies are becoming fat in their mothers womb, the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has warned. The Daily Mail reports that Professor Neena Modi says millions of pounds is being wasted on the current obesity strategy because focus is on young people and adults rather than babies and pregnant women.


Parents in Scotland should be able to use government-funded nursery provision at all nurseries that meet required standards, a think-tank has said. The BBC reports that Reform Scotland has called for a “virtual voucher” so parents can access their entitlement wherever they want. The Scottish government offers all three- and four-year-olds 600 hours of funded nursery provision per year but many parents cannot find suitable places at council nurseries.


The youth police and crime commissioner position for Kent is to be replaced with an advisory group. The BBC reports that the county's police and crime commissioner (PCC) Ann Barnes created the role to represent young people’s views on policing, but has now proposed a new system. Two previous youth PCCs selected by Barnes came to national prominence following news stories relating to their appointment.


An internet safety guide has been launched to support parents of children who have been in trouble for viewing or sharing sexually explicit material online. Created by The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, the 32-page guide aims to help parents that are struggling to understand and keep pace with what their children get up to online.