Jan Cosgrove, national secretary of Fair Play for Children, believes Gove is to blame for widespread reductions in service provision, even though the responsibility for youth policy was transferred from the Department for Education to the Cabinet Office in July last year.
Cosgrove said Gove has failed to ensure local authorities secure and deliver sufficient services for young people as required by the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
Section 507B of the legislation – statutory guidance issued by the Secretary of State for Education – places a legal duty on local authorities to secure sufficient services and activities for 13- to 19-year-olds, and young people under 24 with learning difficulties.
But Cosgrove said Gove is neglecting his responsibility to ensure local authorities act in accordance with the legislation.
He said: “Michael Gove now has a very dubious reputation of not at all being interested in youth services.
“He has more or less shrugged off youth services but he has a statutory responsibility as the Secretary of State for Education, therefore it doesn’t have the local authority profile it needs.
“I think that’s a very bad lead from the Secretary of State and sooner or later he has to be taken to task for that – the process for doing that is in the hands of the sector.”
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