Editorial: National policies don't translate locally

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.