NCS saves as little as nine pence for every £1 spent, evaluation finds

A study by Ipsos Mori on the voluntary personal and social development programme estimated that in the summer of 2013, accrued benefits - such as improved education outcomes, volunteering, leadership skills, general wellbeing and reduced smoking and drinking - were worth between £1.39 and £6.10 for every £1 spent.

It estimated the benefits from the autumn 2013 programme to be between £1.09 and £6.09 for every £1 spent.

The cost of the summer programme - which 31,738 young people took part in came to £49m and the autumn programme - which 7,828 young people took part in - cost £13m.

The report says that NCS may potentially deliver several long-term benefits, including increased earnings from enhanced skills and leadership, increased physical activity, and reduced smoking and drinking.

"Although this evaluation uses the most robust methods possible to estimate long-term outcomes, there is inevitably some uncertainty in the results at this stage," the report says.

"Nonetheless, even under the most pessimistic scenarios, NCS is estimated to have delivered greater social benefits than the costs involved."

However, the report does concede the estimated costs "slightly understate the actual resource costs" as in some cases the parents of participants will also have made small financial contributions to the cost of NCS of up to £50.