National Youth Strategy

Lord Storey Excerpts

Thursday 13th March 2025 Grand Committee

[Lord Storey (LD)]

My Lords, I declare an interest as a patron of Career Connect and patron of the Royal Life Saving Society UK. A new national youth strategy that engages and empowers young people is not only welcome but essential. This approach, which rightly seeks to place decision-making power in the hands of those affected, offers a valuable opportunity to learn to nurture the future pillars of our nation. I commend the efforts made thus far to co-produce the national youth strategy alongside young people. The national listening exercise, the online survey extending to those with special educational needs and disabilities, and various workshops have demonstrated an effort to consult and collaborate with young people, which is to be applauded.

While the Government have committed £85 million from government funds and £100 million from the dormant assets scheme to improve youth outcomes, there are concerns about whether that funding will be sufficient to address the diverse needs of young people across the country. The decision to wind down the NCS programme from March 2025 has raised concerns about the continuity of support for young people. The new strategy needs to ensure that the services previously provided, which were working well, are effectively replaced or improved on.

The pressures of social media and new technologies are growing ever present. How will the strategy address these challenges to support young people’s mental health and well-being?

I turn to the topics of co-ordination and collaboration. Effective collaboration with various stakeholders is crucial for the success of the strategy. Ensuring effective co-ordination among these groups, as noble Lords know more than most, can be complex. What will “good” look like?

Finally, following the pandemic, young people were denied valuable experiences. The strategy must address the long-term impacts of that disruption on their development and opportunities.

I am delighted to say that we welcome the national youth strategy, particularly its commitment to include the voice of young people from the outset. We also welcome the commitment to better co-ordinated youth services and policies at local, regional and national level.