Daily roundup: Loughton warning, youth premium and asylum tragedy

Former children’s minister Tim Loughton has warned of impending “social and economic peril” unless family policy is prioritised. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Loughton said the “absence of strong family structures contributes to the chaos of the herd instinct and lawlessness that we saw in last summer’s riots”. He went on to ask “where is the government’s comprehensive programme on family in action given its implications economically and socially, and who’s leading it?”. His words were in response to publication of a report by the Centre for Social Justice that found half of all children can now expect their parents to separate. Loughton said government must adopt a ten-point plan, including recognising marriage in the tax and benefits system, introducing a full presumption of shared parenting in the family courts following separation, and early intervention where parents fail to form strong attachments to their children.

Youth services should be supported with a central government subsidy similar to the pupil premium, the National Youth Agency has said. Launching the “youth premium” concept at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham, the organisation said government risks damaging future generations if young people aren’t given the “resources and attention they need”. NYA chief executive Fiona Blacke, said: “Youth work helps transform the lives of young people by helping their educational attainment, health and behaviour. Yet not all have access to good quality youth work services, whether formal or informal. We recognise that there is little money to go around, but we are not asking for additional cash; funding could be diverted from existing streams.”