The National Youth Agency: Comment - The role of the commissioner

Now, I discover that they have a key role in local authorities in shaping services for young people.

Commissioners determine what would be "purchased" from voluntary and community bodies or, indeed, from the local authority or even from commercial companies.

Moreover, there are lots of them - at least 2,000 are being trained in a new government scheme, the better to act as impartial - perhaps even informed - purchasers of public services.

None of this is anything new: The National Youth Agency in 1999 set out what it saw as the role of the local authority in securing youth provision. We wanted good identification of needs; effective planning and co-ordination; the commissioning of relevant services; and direct provision by the authority itself where it is best placed to do so.