Government challenged to intervene in councils that neglect youth services

The debate, which took place as young people and practitioners gathered outside parliament for the Choose Youth rally, saw high-profile peers challenge schools minister Lord Hill over the government’s role in securing youth services.

Liberal Democrat spokeswoman on children and families in the House of Lords Baroness Walmsley challenged schools minister Lord Hill over what the government’s role is in ensuring local authorities meet their statutory duty to provide positive activities for young people.

She said: "Twenty-eight local authorities have not declared what their youth services plans are, as they are required to do by law. What can the government do to protect youth services in those areas as local authorities have a statutory duty to provide positive experiences for young people?"

Lord Hill said that while government did have powers to intervene and there is evidence of a varied picture of how local authorities are prioritising spending, support for disadvantaged young people is growing.

"Ultimately, there is a power to intervene if the Secretary of State thinks that local authorities are failing to fulfil those duties in the long term," he said. "Across the country a varied picture is emerging of how local authorities are responding to the funding challenge that they face through the early intervention grant. As we have debated many times before in other contexts, we think that local authorities are best placed to exercise that judgment. However, at a difficult time, we are seeing across the piece a growing focus on providing support for disadvantaged young people particularly."

Labour peer Baroness McIntosh also quizzed Hill on how voluntary organisations providing services for vulnerable young people are being supported by government during a "funding crisis".

In response, Hill hinted that support for the voluntary sector may be forthcoming as the government prepares to publish its youth policy statement Positive for Youth.

He said: "That is one of the areas that I know [children’s minister] Mr Loughton is looking at in bringing forward proposals later in the year – probably at the end of November – and launching his Positive for Youth strategy, which will look at involving that sector. I know he is working with the voluntary sector on that plan.

"More generally, I do not hide the fact that we face a difficult financial situation. We have had to make difficult choices and have pushed those choices down to local authorities where we think they can most sensibly be made. Beyond that, so far as the money is concerned, there is little extra I can add."