The Conservative-controlled council is implementing a cost-cutting programme that could lead to redundancy for 70 youth workers in the area (YPN, 11-17 January, p2). Sally Keeble, Labour MP for Northampton North, felt sufficiently concerned to lay down an early day motion in Parliament, noting the "threat by some local authorities to cut youth services".
Youth services are losing their Transforming Youth Work money from April, but will benefit from 115m in ring-fenced money through the Youth Opportunity Fund and the Youth Capital Fund over the next two years, which will sit outside local area agreements. But in a letter to council chief executives last week, copied in to lead members for children's services and directors of children's services (but not principal youth officers), youth minister Beverley Hughes made it clear that this money must be treated as additional funding - not as a substitute for mainstream provision. She added that she doesn't expect to see local authorities making cuts to core local provision.
In the letter, Hughes repeated her belief that funding to local government is increasing by 4.5 per cent next year (YPN, 7-13 December 2005, p15), which should enable local authorities to "ensure improvements are made to services for children, young people and families". But Northampton says it has received one of the lowest local government settlements in the country and is facing a three per cent cut in central government funding.
Hughes wants local authorities to "build on the progress made through the Transforming Youth Work agenda in developing their provision for young people". Northampton says it is determined not to compensate for its settlement deficit by increasing council tax by more than three per cent.
It's a scenario that is being played out in other areas of the country. Let us sincerely hope that this doesn't result in young people losing out yet again because of adults playing politics with the money that should be spent on youth provision.
