The Youth Matters: Next Steps policy document, published last week,details plans to give young people more influence over local authorityspending on youth services.
Under the plans, children's trusts will be legally bound to consult withyoung people about what services should be funded, and young people willget to decide how to spend their local share of the new 26.5m-a-year Youth Opportunity Fund.
The Government will also create a 31m-a-year Youth Capital Fundto pay for improvements to facilities for young people, which teenagerswill help direct.
Furthermore, control over Connexions, the Government's youth adviceservice, will be handed to local children's trusts.
Beverley Hughes, the children's minister, said the plans would put"young people in the driving seat".
Ellie Rose, policy officer at the National Council for Voluntary YouthServices, welcomed the plans. "We would support the principle of moreautonomy for young people about the services that are provided forthem," she said.
The document also unveiled plans to pilot the controversial YouthOpportunity Card scheme in 10 local authority areas during the next twoyears. The consultation on last year's Youth Matters green paper foundthat most young people wanted the cards, but only a third of adults oryouth organisations supported them.
- www.everychildmatters.gov.uk.
