Youth Parliaments

Mr. Peter Ainsworth
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what steps his Department takes to ensure that its funding for county Youth Parliaments represents value for money; and if he will make a statement;

(2) how much funding his Department has provided to the Surrey Youth Parliament in each of the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 7 April 2010]: The Department does not directly fund local Youth Parliaments.

We are committed to putting youth voice at the heart of our policies and programmes for young people and it is right that they should have access to the appropriate forums to discuss matters that affect their lives. Giving young people a real say over the issues that affect them leads to better decisions and outcomes, promotes community engagement and helps overturn negative perceptions. Youth Parliaments are one of a number of ways that young people's voices can be heard by local and national decision makers. Many local authorities choose to support Youth Parliaments as part of their overall arrangements for taking account of young people's views.