Government to legislate to make National Citizen Service available for 25-year-olds

The initiative, which launched in 2011, is primarily available to 16 and 17-year-olds, but a draft version of a royal charter setting out the governance arrangements of the NCS Trust, the organisation that runs the programme, confirms that 15- to 25-year-olds will be able to take part.

"NCS is primarily a programme for 16- and 17-year-olds, but article 3.2(b) [of the royal charter] allows the NCS Trust to provide the programme to people as young as 15, or as old as 25," the draft document states.

"This ensures the programme is accessible to those who cannot take part aged 16 or 17 due to their individual circumstances."

The wording of the charter states that the primary functions of the NCS Trust is to arrange the provision programmes for young people in England, with "young people" defined as 16 and 17-year-olds.

But it adds that "from time to time", the NCS trust may determine that young people also includes 15-year-olds, or 18- to 25-year-olds.

Michael Lynas, chief executive of the NCS Trust, said the legislation confirms existing practice.

"NCS is currently open to all young young people aged 16 and 17, and young people with special circumstances such as special educational needs can do the programme up to 25 years of age," he said. 

"NCS is committed to being an inclusive programme and attracting young people from a diverse range of backgrounds and has no plans to change it's current practice."

The draft charter also sets out to clarify the NCS Trust's independent status following its launch as a community interest company four years ago, while at the same time allowing ministers to retain oversight.

The trust has to adhere to government standards over transparency and openness and ministers will also retain control over remuneration for any staff or non-executive members who earn more than the Prime Minister.

The charter also sets out that the trust will retain powers to manage its work with commercial partners and make investments but it "may not borrow money" and "must remain financially sound". 

Legislation cementing the royal charter in law, contained within the NCS bill, had its second reading in parliament on Monday. The bill also aims to ensure that the programme is accessible to all young people that want a place, particularly those from deprived backgrounds.

Culture Secretary Karen Bradley told MPs that the NCS has been set "an ambitious target" around participation "which we have made great success in getting towards".

She added: "That's why this bill is so important so that more young people can have the chance to do NCS." 

Last week a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) found that five out of nine regional providers of the NCS "significantly missed" participation targets last year. Since its launch none of its annual recruitment aims have been met.

The NAO report said that if the current annual rate of increase is sustained, there would be only 213,000 participants in 2020/21, significantly short of the 360,000 target for that year.

The NAO report also criticised the NCS for going over budget by £300 for each of the 93,000 teenagers that took part in 2016. Costs need to fall by 29 per cent by 2019 if the NCS is to stay within budget, the spending watchdog added.

The government has committed £1.26bn of funding for the NCS up to 2020.