Oral Answers to Questions

Luke Myer Excerpts

Thursday 16th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Chris Bryant]

I agree with every single thing the hon. Member said, and I will do as he urges.

[Luke Myer (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland) (Lab)]

4. What progress her Department has made on creating a national youth strategy.

[The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)]

We have wasted no time in cracking on with the national youth strategy. We have almost finished recruiting to the youth advisory group and the expert advisory group, and I can tell the House that we have taken suggestions from Conservative Members and included a member of the uniformed youth groups on that youth advisory group, which will meet for the first time in late January or early February. My officials are reviewing the evidence base, which they will consider, and we are launching the strategy in the summer, with an interim report expected in the spring.

[Luke Myer]

My constituent Kylie is a teacher who works with excluded young people who have some excellent ideas about what we can do to address antisocial behaviour and improve youth provision. Can the Secretary of State provide an update on how the national youth strategy consultation will involve young people, so that we make sure that they are engaged in future policy decisions?

[Lisa Nandy]

We are absolutely determined to put young people back in charge of their destiny. They know better than we do the challenges that they face, and are often better at identifying the solutions. That is why we have put young people in charge of the strategy. We are co-producing it with them, and we will seek out a range of young people’s voices from every part of the country and every background as part of the process.

Oral Answers to Questions

Luke Myer Excerpts

Thursday 28th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Luke Myer (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland) (Lab)]

2. What recent assessment she has made of the contribution of tourism to the local economies of coastal towns.

[The Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism (Chris Bryant)]

Tourism is vital to our coastal towns, and if we are to reach our target of 50 million international visitors to the UK by 2030, we will need to do far better at improving tourism numbers in our coastal towns.

[Luke Myer]

The coastal village of Skinningrove is home to a fantastic tourist asset, Land of Iron, which is the leading ironstone mining museum in the country. I am campaigning for it to receive national status as the national ironstone mining museum. Will Ministers consider meeting me to discuss that request, and would they like to visit?

[Chris Bryant]

My hon. Friend challenges me a bit. The Rhondda has the best mining museum in the UK, but I am prepared to concede that in England he might be right. But there is an important point: our mining heritage is part of understanding the country that we have been, and the country that we can be in future. I am very happy to meet my hon. Friend. Arts Council England has a specific way of giving a national name to museums, and that is one thing that he might want to apply to it for.

Oral Answers to Questions

Luke Myer Excerpts

Thursday 17th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Marsha De Cordova]

The Church Commissioners are very much invested in place-making; it is at the core of their approach to bringing forward new homes for communities across the country. They have sought a meeting with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to discuss the Church’s strategic land, and the potential to build up to 70,000 new homes. The diocese of St Albans has several good examples of how the Church is contributing to community-building in the Mid Bedfordshire constituency, and I will write to the hon. Gentleman with further details.

[Luke Myer (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland) (Lab)]

4. What steps the Church has taken in response to the findings of Sarah Wilkinson’s independent review into the Independent Safeguarding Board.

[Marsha De Cordova]

The General Synod of the Church of England considered the Wilkinson review at its meeting in July 2024. The synod has commissioned a detailed analysis of four options for the organisational structure of safeguarding independence. The intention is for them to be presented to the synod at the next meeting in February 2025, which I hope to attend.

[Luke Myer]

I welcome my hon. Friend to her role; she is doing a fantastic job. My constituent has been involved in that process. Can she help to secure a meeting with my constituent to discuss the findings and the work in more detail?

[Marsha De Cordova]

I will do whatever I can to secure a meeting. It is important to put on record that there has been much engagement with all the survivors, who have been involved throughout the process. I will certainly write to my hon. Friend to see what we can do to ensure that a meeting is secured.