NO - Claire Fox, director, Institute of Ideas
I don't think young people need a government minister at any level. There is a danger of ghettoising youth issues as though the rest of government shouldn't be interested in young people.
The Government shouldn't be listening to young people - they're not a constituency or a community; it's an accident of age that they're young.
The big problem for young people is that adult society is overly in awe of, and in thrall to, young people - they're seen as an alien breed.
YES - Barbara Hearn, deputy chief executive and director of policy and research, NCB
The minister for children, young people and families should be a Cabinet-level post. The remit of this position should also be widened to include all areas of policy where the impact is primarily on children, young people and families.
Having a 'people-centred' minister representing those who find it toughest to get their voices heard would be consistent with the investment made in recent years in children, young people and families.
NO - Anastasia de Waal, head of family and education, Civitas
I say this partly in response to issues raised in the Unicef report about the wellbeing of young people. New Labour often gives in to the temptation to do something drastic - such as making youth minister a Cabinet-level position - rather than consolidating what it has already got.
It's about joined-up thinking. Treating young people in isolation is not what's needed. It's about education, families and employment.
YES - Tom Wylie, chief executive, The National Youth Agency
It would signal a renewed commitment to children and young people. But the post would need responsibility for other areas such as youth justice and young people's mental health.
It would also need to be backed up by serious sustained investment in youth services because you need resources to back up what you want to do. We don't want a post that is tokenistic.
