Youth Parliament: Government Support

Vicky Foxcroft Excerpts

Wednesday 9th September 2026 Westminster Hall

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Vicky Foxcroft)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Betts. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bracknell (Peter Swallow) on securing this incredibly important debate and on the success of the campaign for votes at 16, as highlighted in the recent inquiry by the all-party parliamentary group on schools, learning and assessment, which he chairs. I am sorry to hear that he came third in his national Youth Parliament ambitions, but I am delighted that he is with us in Parliament now.

The experience of my hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (David Taylor) as a Member of the Youth Parliament between 2001 and 2003 highlights the lasting impact of youth participation. I want to express my deepest thanks for his tireless advocacy for young people in his constituency and across the nation. I know how passionately he cares about ensuring that the next generation is not merely listened to, but genuinely heard and empowered.

That goes for all Members who contributed. My hon. Friends the Members for Wolverhampton North East (Sureena Brackenridge), for Aylesbury (Laura Kyrke-Smith) and for Gravesham (Dr Sullivan), the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr Dillon) and my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby (John Slinger) all spoke about the powerful young advocates in their constituencies, and it was fantastic to hear them being celebrated.

I also pay tribute to the incredible partner organisations, the youth workers and, above all, the inspiring young people who deliver the UK Youth Parliament day in, day out. It is genuinely great to see so many of them in the Public Gallery.

Throughout my time as an MP and previously—particularly in my work leading the Youth Violence Commission—my purpose has been rooted in supporting and standing with young people. I have seen at first hand the transformational impact of timely intervention, and how a trusted adult, a safe space or a creative outlet can offer a vital lifeline and a transformed future. That work showed me that young people have the solutions; they just need space, support and opportunities. That insight drives my decisions as Minister for youth and underpins our commitment to ensuring that every young person gets the opportunities they deserve.

Our young people are not merely the leaders of tomorrow; they are the active, vibrant and thoughtful citizens of today. They deserve to be heard and valued, and they should be in the driving seat when decisions that affect their lives are made. Since 1999, the UK Youth Parliament has given thousands of young people a platform to champion key issues, hold decision makers to account and drive positive social change in their communities. We are currently working closely with young people and partners, including Members of the Youth Parliament, to co-design the Government’s work to increase young people’s involvement in democracy and decision making, with a particular focus on under-represented groups. We will share the outcomes of that work later in the autumn.

We are also keeping our promise to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote through votes at 16. We are working closely across Government to implement that commitment, ensuring that the necessary legislative and operational preparations are in place to successfully embed early democratic participation, so that young people have a formal stake in shaping the future of our country.

I am personally passionate about ensuring inclusivity in everything we do. It is not enough simply to open the door; we must actively break down the structural and socioeconomic barriers that prevent young people from under-represented backgrounds from stepping through it. Every young person, regardless of their ethnicity, geography or background, deserves an equal voice. It is imperative that more young people across the country gain direct and meaningful access to influence decisions, locally in their communities and nationally. By embedding young people in decision-making processes, we ensure that our policy solutions are richer, fairer and genuinely reflective of the nation we serve.

We are taking proactive, transformative steps across our wider youth empowerment initiatives through our “Be Seen & Heard” pillar of Youth Matters, to ensure that young people are directly in the driving seat. As part of that work, we will recruit a dedicated new youth policy network to co-design national Government policy, and we will shortly be refreshing our youth advisory group, which will oversee the delivery of Youth Matters. We are also backing youth social action by continuing to support the #iWill movement.

Through the Youth Matters fund, we are assembling youth decision making directly into local investment. This will include a range of tools and support to ensure minimum standards and meaningful engagement with young people, so that provision is targeted where young people need it most.

All those democratic and participation initiatives align directly with our overarching Youth Matters national youth strategy, which was published in 2025 and was, as has been said, the first in more than 15 years. Youth Matters represents a fundamental shift in how we support young people across our Government. For too long, youth services were subjected to short-term, fragmented funding that left provision patchy and unsustainable. We are moving away from those temporary fixes towards sustainable, long-term support that gives youth workers and local organisations the stability they need to build lasting relationships with young people.

Youth Matters provides the foundations for our ongoing work with young people to co-design our fresh approach to youth empowerment, ensuring that national opportunities are better connected to local infrastructure. I invite hon. Members to share experiences of what is working in their constituencies with the Department, and to continue to create opportunities for young people to engage with them and, where appropriate, with Parliament.

I hope this debate will be the beginning of an ongoing conversation. I genuinely thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bracknell once again for introducing this important debate. Our wider youth strategy is about giving every young person someone who cares, somewhere to go and something to do. Together, we will build a society where every single young person feels valued, safe, supported, seen and truly heard.

Question put and agreed to.

Oral Answers to Questions

Vicky Foxcroft Excerpts

Thursday 3rd September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Adam Jogee (Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Lab)]

9. What steps her Department is taking to improve digital inclusion in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Vicky Foxcroft)]

As set out in the Government’s digital inclusion plan, everyone in every community should be able to benefit from technology. That is why we launched the £11.9 million digital inclusion innovation fund, backing local projects across the country to help people get online. I am glad that Citizens Advice in Staffordshire was one of the funded projects, supporting people with digital skills and resilience, including online banking and job searching.

[Adam Jogee]

I welcome the Minister to her new position. Residents across Newcastle-under-Lyme, particularly in Betley, Wolseley and Wrinehill, have been digitally left behind by poor broadband connectivity for far too long. I have raised this issue before, but will the new Minister do what she can to ensure that my constituents who work and live in rural communities can get online? Will she come along to hear their experiences?

[Vicky Foxcroft]

Yes, absolutely; I would love to come along.

[Adam Thompson (Erewash) (Lab)]

T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.

--- Later in debate ---

[Rebecca Smith (South West Devon) (Con)]

T8. An ever-growing list of charities have faced serious allegations of peddling extremism and even funding terrorism. Despite lengthy Charity Commission investigations, most of them continue to operate, such as the Iranian regime-linked Islamic Centre of England, which is reportedly sponsoring visas for people to enter the UK. It is painfully clear that the Charity Commission lacks sufficient powers to shut down these offending charities, yet the Government have wasted six months since first acknowledging this clear and immediate threat. Will the Secretary of State confirm when those powers will be granted?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Vicky Foxcroft)]

The Charity Commission takes very seriously concerns about the alleged misuse of charities in the UK to promote the interests of foreign states. The Government’s social cohesion action plan, published in March, set out our plans to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers to tackle extremists’ abuse of charities. We are working with the Charity Commission to develop the necessary legislation, and we take this issue very, very seriously.

[Mr Speaker]

That completes DCMS questions. Some news for the House: when we return after the conference recess, the session will be for an hour.

Culture, Media And Sport

Vicky Foxcroft Excerpts

Tuesday 30th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Vicky Foxcroft (Lewisham North) (Lab)]

Young people are our future. They are the future politicians, technicians, writers, sportspeople, physiotherapists or whatever they want to be. The laws, policies and funding that we put forward must help in building their future. We must invest in them, inspire them, and give them the tools and skills for their future, so that they have the confidence and resilience to deal with whatever life throws at them. Decent access to youth services and sporting activities is an integral part of that.

Almost 1 million of our young people are not in education or employment. Youth unemployment is also strongly linked to social and economic inequality. I have spoken many times about why I set up the Youth Violence Commission. Soon after I was first elected in 2015, five of my young constituents were murdered in quick succession. The commission gathered evidence from academics, youth workers, educators and, most importantly, young people themselves. It showed how many different factors influence a young person’s life. Some were more immediately obvious, such as their schooling, health, housing situation and relationship with their family, but our work also really brought home the power of sport, youth services and the arts to inspire and motivate our young people, as well as offering them a safe place to go. I am not talking just about the activities themselves, but about the interventions that happen alongside them.

To give a brief example, there is a boxing club in my constituency called Double Jab. While young people might initially go there to learn how to train and box, they are also offered mentorship and guidance on how to navigate life’s challenges. Strong mentors and trusted adults can deliver a change in attitude and get someone on the path towards a better future. Access to sport, youth activities and culture, improves a whole variety of outcomes. However, Government must go further with their ambitions. Culture, media and sport are not just a “nice to have” to be tagged on to other stuff. Instead, they must be at the heart of everything.

We need a public health approach, with all of Government working together on a cross-departmental strategy, led from DCMS and focused on the right outcomes for our young people. If we can get that right—if we can meet our ambition for every single young person—I am sure that colleagues from the Treasury will be delighted to know that it has the potential to result in significant savings down the line.

Football Governance Bill [Lords] (Fourth sitting)

Vicky Foxcroft Excerpts

Committee stage
Thursday 5th June 2025 Public Bill Committees

[Mr French]

Clause 16 is about the application for provisional licences, and this debate builds on the previous debate about costs. The way in which clause 16 is currently drafted is a textbook example of how the Government have left the door open to scope creep from the regulator. This clause gives the Government’s politically led regulator the power to set its own rules on what documents clubs must provide when applying for a provisional operating licence. On the surface, this may sound like a mere procedural point, but it in fact is emblematic of a broader concern: the unchecked expansion of regulatory scope—scope creep—that could come to characterise this regime if we are not careful. In fact, it may no longer be appropriate to define it as “scope creep”, as there is nothing subtle or creeping about it. The Bill actively, in different places, encourages the Government’s new regulator to build its own football governance empire, as other regulators have done. It would be better now to define some of this risk of scope creep and to avoid such scope imperialism in the future.

That is why I tabled these two amendments. Amendment 99 would prevent the Government’s regulator from requiring information from clubs, other than the personnel statement and strategic business plan specified by the Act, when applying for a provisional operating licence. Amendment 100 would prevent the Government’s regulator from requiring information in the strategic business plan that is not specified by the Act.

At this early stage of the Bill Committee, I am already at risk of sounding like a broken record.

[The Lord Commissioner of His Majesty’s Treasury (Vicky Foxcroft)]

Oh no!

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr French]

I do not want to go on about this too long, but the argument that seems to be coming from the Opposition Benches is—

[Vicky Foxcroft]

Opposition? Hold on—we are the Government.

[Mr French]

Sorry—Government Benches. Members of this Bill Committee have been appointed to it to scrutinise the Bill based on the situation now. The argument that seems to be coming from the Government Benches is that, under a new Parliament, we are unable to criticise or challenge the Bill because of what a previous Government proposed. We have already explained why we believe that the situation has changed, and why we have concerns, so we are well within our rights to table amendments. If the Opposition party does not agree with the Government, that is their decision to make.

Football Governance Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)

Vicky Foxcroft Excerpts

Committee stage
Tuesday 3rd June 2025 Public Bill Committees

[Joe Robertson (Isle of Wight East) (Con)]

We are debating a group of amendments that attempt to better the regulator’s independence. The shadow Minister has set out at great length—made even longer by the interruptions —how these amendments would do that.

I think we all agree that the regulator should be independent. It is perfectly open to Labour Members to say, “Hang on a minute, the Bill already does that,” but their interventions and their scoffing from sedentary positions seem to make the counterargument, “Well, when you were in government, you made political appointments to bodies like the BBC and Ofqual.”

[The Lord Commissioner of His Majesty’s Treasury (Vicky Foxcroft)]

Yes.

[Joe Robertson]

The Government Whip is agreeing from a sedentary position. “And therefore it is perfectly open to us to make a political appointment to the football regulator.” That is an extraordinary argument.

Sport: Team GB and ParalympicsGB

Vicky Foxcroft Excerpts

Thursday 10th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Lord Commissioner of His Majesty’s Treasury (Vicky Foxcroft)]

I wanted to start by saying—and I originally wrote this down—what a collegiate and comradely debate this had been, and until the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Mr French), stood up again it actually was.

I was particularly impressed that my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh and Atherton (Jo Platt) congratulated the Secretary of State on Wigan Wanderers’ win over Leigh Leopards, although she followed that by quickly pointing out that there was a boxing club in her constituency.

I thought the former Minister for Sport, the hon. Member for Droitwich and Evesham (Nigel Huddleston), gave an excellent speech, with lots of really good advice to the Minister for Sport—the Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley South (Stephanie Peacock)—and I am sure she will take some of that on board. He certainly made me chuckle a bit.

I thank all those who contributed to this debate, and I am sorry if I am not able to reference everybody individually, but it really has been a busy debate. It has been a pleasure to hear about and reflect on another wonderful summer of Olympic and Paralympic performance. Not only are such performances a matter of pride for the country, but they inspire a nation.

I know the Minister and the shadow Minister referred to him, but it would be remiss of me not to take advantage of being at the Dispatch Box to mention our Alex Yee MBE of Brockley in my constituency of Lewisham North, who won the gold in the men’s triathlon, and I just thought I would share a little story with everyone. In areas where we have placards saying Brockley, they have now been renamed “Brockyee”, and hon. Members can look online if they want to see them.

Alex Yee did us all proud, as did all of the other Olympians and Paralympians, including Cindy Ngamba—she was in the Gallery earlier—whose achievements were so eloquently expressed by my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton North East (Kirith Entwistle).

The Government value sport that, with the right support, can and will contribute so much to how we deliver our priority missions. I should declare an interest in that, as recorded in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, I was fortunate enough to attend the Paralympic games in Paris and see our athletes in action in sessions of athletics, cycling and swimming. The obvious highlights were seeing Brock Whiston win the silver medal in the 100 metres breaststroke and Archie Atkinson win silver in the C4 4,000 metres individual pursuit.

I was not able to see all the Paralympians, but as a smart Whip, it would be wrong of me not to mention Gregg Stevenson—the good friend from his school years of my hon. Friend the Member for Bury South (Christian Wakeford)—who won gold in the PR2 mixed doubles rowing and broke a world record. I did not know that he had trained in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Reading Central (Matt Rodda), or about the immense impact he has had on so many people.

Perhaps my greatest reflection is that these athletes are at the top of their performance pathways. There is so much that we as a Government can and will do to support all parts of that pathway, whether people are aiming to take their first sporting steps or to set a world record. The Olympic and Paralympic games are a rare opportunity to demonstrate the sheer variety of sports in which to take those first sporting steps. There is a whole world of sport and activity out there, and one that we will ensure offers access and opportunity to as many individuals as possible. My hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire and Bedworth (Rachel Taylor) passionately made the case for grassroots clubs and activities for all, from the young to older people, to be that pipeline, but also for everyone’s physical and mental health.

The Minister, in opening the debate, spoke of the opportunity for sport to contribute to the Government’s missions. She also said—perhaps the shadow Minister was not listening—that we are committed to multi-year funding. We have not been in power very long, so we are still getting used to the different terms, and we are moving at speed although perhaps not as quickly as the Opposition would like. The most obvious element of this potential is the health mission, as small increases in physical activity can have such holistic health benefits. That was eloquently put by my hon. Friend the Member for Chesterfield (Mr Perkins), who passionately spoke about both the cultural and health benefits of tennis, with participants living on average 9.7 years longer.

Yet sport can and does impact much more widely in society as well, and it can be particularly influential in engaging young people. I am personally hugely invested in how sports can contribute to safer communities for them. My hon. Friend the Member for Croydon East (Natasha Irons) rightly pointed out the need to invest in our young people. There are some excellent examples of how young people can be engaged in sports and social activities, with access to mentors and further opportunities providing wider positive messages, and they can be shown alternatives to violent influences.

[Jonathan Davies]

Will the Minister join me in recognising the contributions of community trusts, such as those at Derby County and Chesterfield football clubs, in filling the gaps left by local authorities, who have suffered huge cuts, especially in regard to youth provision?

[Vicky Foxcroft]

My hon. Friend makes a really important point. If we are putting clubs on the record, may I add my local football club of Millwall, whose community trust does excellent work in the local community?

It is important that young people are able to make informed choices away from crime and violence, and towards a future that need not lead them into the justice system but instead provides them with opportunities to thrive. Working across Government, that is our mission.

I want to touch on the excellent maiden speeches that we have heard today. My hon. Friend the Member for Warrington South (Sarah Hall) gave a passionate speech, championing her seat and former local women leaders, and I hope that her presence is present enough for her husband Tom—I wish him a happy birthday and am sure that he is extremely proud of her.

The hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole (Vikki Slade) spoke about her beautiful constituency, although I think I remember her calling some parts of it Shitterton and Happy Bottom—she did. I was rather nervous when my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich (Sarah Coombes) mentioned Tom Watson, because I once mentioned him while giving a speech at a Friends of Labour Students event and might have slightly regretted it afterwards, so I think we should just stick with the sons of toolmakers.

The hon. Member for North Cornwall (Ben Maguire) used his maiden speech to campaign for a Cornish team at the Commonwealth games, and I wish him luck with that. My hon. Friend the Member for Mid Cheshire (Andrew Cooper) spoke about his constituency being an events capital, making me want an invite to join the banquet, but I was also very interested in the annual pina colada festival.

My hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield (Steve Yemm) spoke of his life journey and how he wants to ensure everyone has the same opportunity. My hon. Friend the Member for Redditch (Chris Bloore) gave an amusing speech, namechecking many people from his constituency, including Harry Styles several times. My hon. Friend the Member for Worsley and Eccles (Michael Wheeler) spoke about tea and cakes. I would not like to say which cake is my favourite, but I will say I was born in Chorley. [Interruption.] I did not say which one was my favourite.

My hon. Friend the Member for Corby and East Northamptonshire (Lee Barron) spoke about the importance of fighting for workers’ rights and how he was such a strong advocate in doing so before entering Parliament, and I am certain he will be a strong voice here in Parliament. My hon. Friend the Member for East Kilbride and Strathaven (Joani Reid) spoke passionately about campaigners and champions from her constituency saving businesses, saving jobs and showing the talent of women. I know she will be a doughty champion for her constituency.

My hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Danny Beales) spoke personally about his challenges growing up and how those made him want to make changes in politics, and I am glad he has finally made it here. In the final maiden speech today, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Tom Hayes) paid the most fitting tribute to Tobias Ellwood, who was the first to try to save the life of PC Keith Palmer, to whom we all owe a great debt of gratitude. In finishing this part of my speech, I will just say that I know how nerve-wracking it can be to do a maiden speech. You were all absolutely excellent—sorry, they were all absolutely excellent. [Laughter.] See, we can all make mistakes at times. I am genuinely glad that they chose this debate to do so.

Today, we have heard about the importance of sport in its many forms in the country. The 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games may have passed, but enjoying sporting performances of football and rugby is still part of the regular routine for many of us during the winter months. The nights may be closing in, but millions are out there daily, logging their runs, playing five-a-side under newly funded floodlights or trying a new sport for the first time.

The Government are focused on delivering against our five core missions, and sport can do so much in many of these spaces. It can be instrumental in breaking down barriers and creating opportunities. The sector can and will contribute to economic growth, and sport and physical activity can and will improve the health of the nation served by the NHS. That is why I will be working with my ministerial colleagues to ensure that sport is a key part of delivering across health and our other missions, and to ensure that we can reflect on the continued success of our elite athletes for many years to come.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this House has considered sport and the performance of Team GB and ParalympicsGB in 2024.