First elected: 12th December 2019
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Nadia Whittome, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Nadia Whittome has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Nadia Whittome has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
A Bill to require matters relating to climate change and sustainability to be integrated throughout the curriculum in primary and secondary schools and included in vocational training courses; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require matters relating to climate change and sustainability to be integrated throughout the curriculum in primary and secondary schools and included in vocational training courses; and for connected purposes.
Public Sector Websites (Data Charges) Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Simon Lightwood (LAB)
Children (Parental Imprisonment) Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Kerry McCarthy (Lab)
Teenagers (Safety and Wellbeing) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Alex Norris (LAB)
Decarbonisation and Economic Strategy Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Caroline Lucas (Green)
School Breakfast Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Emma Lewell-Buck (Lab)
Education and Training (Welfare of Children) Act 2021
Sponsor - Mary Kelly Foy (Lab)
Equal Pay (Information and Claims) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Stella Creasy (LAB)
As with all guidance published by the Equality Hub, we engaged with legal advisors and key stakeholders to ensure the Public Sector Equality Duty guidance for public authorities was fit for purpose.
No one in this country should be harmed or harassed for who they are and attempts at so-called ‘conversion therapy’ are abhorrent. That is why we are carefully considering this very complex issue. We will be setting out further details on this in due course
This Government is committed to banning conversion therapy practices regardless of the setting in which they are carried out. Our primary concern is to ensure that people are protected from harmful practices that do not work and can cause long lasting damage. We are analysing the responses to the consultation which closed on 4 February and remain committed to preparing legislation for Spring, to be introduced when Parliamentary time allows.
We, and the CPS, are working tirelessly with criminal justice partners to improve the handling of these sensitive cases. Over the last four quarters, we have seen the charging rates in rape cases continue to increase. This year, the CPS has also published its own five-year rape strategy, updated rape legal guidance and training, and continued work to drive forward a joint action plan with the police to improve the handling of these sensitive cases.
The AGO and the CPS are closely and actively engaged in the cross-Government end-to-end rape review, which will be published later this year. The CPS will address any issues identified in this review openly and honestly.
We are mindful of the importance and value of young people being able to contribute their views on how the Government, and the country, can collectively tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.
Notwithstanding, I would note that members of the public who ask questions, particularly those who are filmed, place themselves in the public eye to a significant extent – both on television, but also subsequently are subject to comment on social media.
There are practical issues with children being subjected to such scrutiny, without parental consent and involvement. As it stands, parents and carers can ask questions on behalf of under-18s as a way for them to participate in the daily press conferences.
The Government is actively considering alternative options for under-18s to submit questions to ministers. For example, we have organised a virtual assembly in conjunction with NSPCC, hosted by Ant & Dec where the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families will answer questions from children on our response to Covid-19.
We have introduced a process to verify the individuals asking questions. Accepting questions from people under the age of 18 will require further processes and additional protections to ensure that privacy is protected.
The UK, alongside our international allies, has imposed sanctions on Russia to limit its ability to wage war.
In line with WTO rules of origin and the approach of the European Union, Russian crude which has been substantially processed into refined oil in a third country is no longer considered to be of Russian origin, and therefore, the UK sanctions on Russian oil do not apply.
The Government recognises that the death of a child is a tragic event. In April 2020, we introduced a new statutory entitlement to up to two weeks’ Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay for parents who lose a child under the age of 18.
The Government has no plans to increase this amount of statutory paid leave, but we strongly encourage employers to act with compassion and go beyond the statutory minimum when they are able to.
While we do not comment on live negotiations, our approach to the UK-India FTA has been shaped through substantial engagement with interested stakeholders. Our objectives in the India FTA were informed by a 14-week long public call for input, which incorporated recommendations from businesses, civil society groups, trade unions, public bodies and individuals.
While we do not comment on live negotiations, our approach to FTA negotiations is to secure provisions that ensure labour standards are not compromised in order to increase trade or investment. An FTA with India will not come at the expense of our worker protections.
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill, currently passing through Parliament, includes measures to reform the role of Companies House and improve transparency over UK companies, to strengthen our business environment and support our national security and combat economic crime, whilst delivering a more reliable companies register to underpin business activity.
The Bill will make it much easier to identify and clamp down on fraudulent companies, by giving Companies House new powers to check, challenge, and decline any dubious information on the Register, and by introducing identity verification for new and existing directors, beneficial owners and those who file information with Companies House.
The workforce estimates developed by Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) come from statistics provided by the data analysis company Experian, who in turn use Government jobs data and track expenditure as it flows through the economy. These figures are produced independently of Government but OEUK has previously shared some underlying data with the Department. Experian has said that its calculation is standard and widely used.
We are committed to fully decarbonising the power system by 2035 but we will not be taking any chances with Britain’s energy supply.
Fossil fuel generation such as diesel is used to provide business continuity for infrastructure in the event of disruption to electricity supplies.
Users of diesel generators are required to obtain environmental permits and meet limits on emissions of air pollutants as set out in the Environmental Permitting Regulations (England and Wales) 2016.
The Department does not hold data on the number of mobile phone masts powered by diesel generators. The majority of mobile phone masts draw their power from the National Grid, with a number having a backup diesel generator, and some being permanently powered by diesel generator.
The Government launched the Great British Insulation Scheme in July 2023, supporting the delivery of low-cost insulation measures, and is expected to help some 300,000 households, requiring little or no contribution. This complements the Energy Company Obligation scheme, which has been one of the Government’s key domestic energy policies since it launched in 2013. It is estimated that a combined £5bn will be spent under both schemes, up to March 2026.
The flexible eligibility element of both schemes allows local authorities to set out local eligibility criteria. The Department consistently engages with local authorities to improve uptake and remove barriers.
Hybrid heating systems, alongside Heat Pump deployment, could play a transitional role in the 2020s and 2030s. The Improving Boiler Standards and Efficiency consultation explored the potential role that hybrids could play in heat decarbonisation, both in the near term and beyond 2028. The Government is analysing responses and will issue a response.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme looks to direct the funding available towards the technologies that offer the greatest carbon savings, rather than those such as hybrid or air-to-air heat pumps which would involve the burning of fossil fuels to meet fully the property’s space heating and hot water requirements.
Discussions have taken place with a number of charities and businesses regarding increased energy costs and the Government is fully aware of the impact this is having on the hospice sector.
This is why the Energy Bill Relief Scheme has been introduced, shielding eligible non-domestic customers from soaring energy prices. Following an Treasury-led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme, will run from April until March 2024, and continue to provide a discount to eligible non- domestic customers, including the hospice sector.
Any proposal to merge mobile network operators needs to be looked at by the Competition and Market Authority (CMA). The government does not have a role in the review of mergers on competition grounds. It is the responsibility of CMA to assess the impact on consumers and competition in the market, with input from sectoral regulators.
Strong competition in the UK mobile market has produced good outcomes for consumers and businesses to date, in terms of costs, choice and quality of service. UK prices for mobile services are some of the lowest in Europe. In addition to the four national mobile network operators (MNOs) (BT/EE, VMO2, Vodafone and Three), consumers and businesses can also buy services from mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). The UK MVNO market is strong, representing 27% of mobile subscribers in the market.
Competition has encouraged the four MNOs to invest to extend and upgrade their networks. 4G coverage currently extends to 92% of the UK landmass from at least one MNO, and our Shared Rural Network programme will extend this to 95%. All four MNOs launched their 5G networks in 2019 and last year we met our ambition to deliver a basic 5G signal for the majority of the population by 2027 - 5 years early.
Our recently published Wireless Infrastructure Strategy set out a new ambition for nationwide coverage of standalone (high-quality) 5G to all populated areas by 2030.
Decisions about standing charges are a commercial matter for energy suppliers. The standing charge is a fixed charge that suppliers pass on to their customers to cover the cost of providing a live supply.
The Ofgem price cap sets a limit on unit rates and standing charges, and the Energy Price Guarantee subsidises the unit rate.
The 2013 Retail Market Review proposed a set of rules to make it easier for consumers to make better choices over their supply. Those aims were superseded in 2014 when Ofgem referred the energy markets to the Consumers and Markets Authority (CMA). As a result of this, Ofgem introduced a price cap for PPM customers. The Government introduced a market-wide price cap on all default tariffs to protect the least engaged consumers. The price cap provides protection to all consumers, including low-income households.
The Government is developing a new approach to consumer protection which will apply from April 2024.
The Government remains committed to improving the energy performance of homes and reducing Fuel Poverty across the country, including in Nottingham East. Therefore the Government is investing £12 billion in Help to Heat schemes to make sure homes are warmer and cheaper to heat.
This investment will benefit tens of thousands of households and deliver savings between £300 and £700 a year on average on their energy bills, based on the recent price cap announcement.
Help to Heat covers the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, Local Authority Delivery Scheme, Home Upgrade Grant, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, and the Energy Company Obligation.
Ministers regularly meet with external stakeholders. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.
The latest published data covers July to September 2021. Data for October to December 2021 will be published in due course.
The Government recognises that losing a child or a much-wanted baby at any stage is deeply upsetting and we expect employers to respond with compassion and understanding.
Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay provides parents with a statutory right to two weeks off work following the death of their child or the loss of a baby stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy. The policy establishes a statutory baseline for employers, and it is the Government’s hope that employers will go beyond this minimum in supporting employees who suffer this kind of loss.
The Government also commissioned guidance from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) on managing a bereavement in the workplace. This guidance has been updated to include new sections on supporting employees after the loss of a baby and to highlight employers’ good practice.
Grant support for Taxi Drivers may be available through the Additional Restrictions Grant, a discretionary scheme administered by Local Authorities. Local Authorities are encouraged to support businesses from all sectors that may have been severely impacted by restrictions but are not eligible for the Restart Grant scheme. Local Authorities can use their local expertise to target businesses to support in their local area.
My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced an additional £425m will be made available via the Additional Restrictions Grant meaning that more than £2bn has been made available to Local Authorities since November 2020.
Guidance for the scheme can be found at GOV.UK: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/971482/additional-restrictions-grant-la-guidance.pdf.
The Restart Grant and Local Restrictions Support Grant Schemes provides support for those businesses who have been mandated to close under National Restrictions. Grant support for Taxi Drivers may be available through the Additional Restrictions Grant. Local Authorities have discretion to provide support that suits their local area including to support those businesses not required to close but which have had their trade severely affected by the restrictions.
My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced an additional £425m will be made available via the Additional Restrictions Grant meaning that more than £2bn has been made available to Local Authorities since November 2020.
This Government is committed to taking further action to promote the safe and considerate use of fireworks. There is a comprehensive regulatory framework already in place for fireworks that controls who can purchase them, their availability and use, curfews and their safety as a product.
We agree with the conclusion of the Petition Committee’s 2019 inquiry into fireworks, that any further restrictions on fireworks sold to the public by retail outlets could lead to more individuals buying products inappropriately, through online social media sources or from outside the UK. This could drive individuals to source fireworks from illegitimate or unsafe suppliers, where products may not meet the UK’s safety requirements.
We are working with the construction sector to reduce its emission contributions to help meet our net zero target, with a focus on construction processes including transport and the plant and machinery it uses, and in the built environment. We are also working with the sector to reduce embodied carbon and are looking at a range of means for doing so.
The Government introduced an unprecedented and comprehensive package of business support measures to help as many individuals and businesses as possible during this difficult period. This support package included measures such as the small business grants, the coronavirus loan guarantee schemes, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), the deferral of VAT and income tax payments, and more. These measures were designed to be accessible to businesses in most sectors and across the UK.
Further measures were also announced by the Chancellor that build on the significant support already available as well as set out how current support will evolve and adapt. This includes the extension of the CJRS until the end of April 2021, the extension of the coronavirus loan guarantee schemes until 31 March 2021, and the introduction of Pay As You Grow measures, meaning businesses now have the option to repay their Bounce Back Loans over a period of up to ten years. Businesses who also deferred VAT due from 20 March to 30 June 2020 will now have the option to opt-in to a scheme to allow them to pay in smaller instalments up to the end of March 2022, interest free.
Business premises that are required by law to close during the current period of national restrictions which began on 5 January 2021 can also access grants of up to £4,500 per 6 weeks of closure under the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed). In addition, each closed business will be eligible for a one-off payment of up to £9,000 via the Closed Business Lockdown Payment. Local authorities have also been allocated a further £500 million in discretionary funding via the Additional Restrictions Grant to support businesses that are significantly impacted by the restrictions even though not required to close. This is in addition to £1.1 billion already allocated in November 2020. Local authorities have discretion to use this funding to support businesses in the way they see fit.
Further initiatives include the BEIS-led Small Business Leadership Programme and Peer-to-Peer networks, to help businesses build resilience and grow. In addition, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) announced £20 million in July 2020 to help small and medium-sized businesses acquire new technology and seek advice on digital adoption in order to continue or diversify their business activities in light of the pandemic. This is provided through grants of between £1000 and £5000 and is fully funded by the Government with no obligation for businesses themselves to contribute financially.
Additionally, businesses are able to access tailored advice through our Freephone Business Support Helpline, online via the Business Support website or through their local Growth Hubs in England. The Government will also continue to work closely with local authorities, businesses, business representative organisations, and the financial services sector to monitor the implementation of current support.
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic the Government has worked closely with the hospitality sector to understand the impact of the pandemic on their businesses.
Hospitality and events businesses have been able to benefit from Government support, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, Government-backed loans, Local Restrictions Support Grants, additional funding provided to Local Authorities to support businesses and the Cultural Relief Fund.
On 5 January, when the new National Lockdown began, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a one-off top up grant for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 per property to help businesses through to the spring. A £594 million discretionary fund has also been made available to support other impacted businesses.
We are looking to partner with organisations at COP26 with strong climate credentials, particularly those who have set ambitious net zero commitments by 2050 or earlier, with a credible short term action plan to achieve this (e.g. Science Based Targets). We conduct due diligence on all potential sponsors, and will ensure compliance with rigorous government standards.
You can find details about sponsorship on the COP26 website here.
The details of mergers and takeovers are primarily a commercial matter for the parties concerned.
The Employment Relations Act 1999 introduced a statutory recognition procedure that gave independent trade unions the right to apply to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) to be recognised by an employer for collective bargaining over pay, hours and holidays in respect of a group of workers in a particular bargaining unit.
Where an employer decides not to recognise or to derecognise a trade union, the union can use the statutory recognition procedure. The CAC can award recognition where a clear majority of the bargaining unit want it, and this is established in most cases through a ballot of the workforce.
We intend to consult on strengthening the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards in due course, in line with our Clean Growth Strategy aspiration for privately rented properties to reach EPC Band C by 2030 where practical, affordable and cost-effective. Landlords will also be eligible for subsidised energy efficiency measures through the Green Homes Grant scheme this autumn.
The Government has considered the financial impact of COVID-19 on all parts of the economy throughout the pandemic and has provided unprecedented levels of financial support.
The Government will continue to monitor the impact of the restrictions, working closely with business groups including the beauty industry, to ensure it continues to consider the impact on all groups including women.
The Government released an unprecedented package of support, including loan schemes, grant funding and wage packages, to help as many individuals and business as possible during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. For commercial confidentiality reasons, the British Business Bank cannot disclose whether companies are or are not in receipt of support without their approval. Any financial support provided (if provided) would be subject to the terms and conditions of the specific scheme.
As of 6 May, in total over £5.5 billion worth of loans have been issued under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) to 33,812 businesses. Lenders have received 62,674 completed applications.
In order to minimise administrative burden and therefore facilitate the issuing of as many loans as possible, the British Business Bank’s system only gathers data from lenders when loans are offered and drawn. Decisions on whether to capture information relating to rejected loans are at the discretion of the lender.
We are working with the British Business Bank, HM Treasury and the lenders on the publication of regular and transparent data going forward.
The two existing business grants schemes have helped supported many thousands of small businesses. However, we are aware that many small businesses which are facing high fixed costs are finding themselves excluded from the existing grants schemes because the way they interact with the current business rates system means they are not eligible for the grants schemes.
To ensure that Local Authorities can help these businesses, on 1 May 2020 the Business Secretary announced that a further up to £617 million is being made available to Local Authorities in England to allow them to provide discretionary grants. This additional Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund is aimed at small businesses with ongoing fixed property-related costs but not liable for business rates or rates reliefs. It is our intention that the following businesses should be considered as a priority for these funds:
Local authorities may choose to make payments to other businesses based on local economic need and subject to those businesses meeting the specific eligibility criteria.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating the creative content, media placement and audience targeting of advertising in the UK. The Advertising Codes which it administers contain dedicated rules for adverts relating to weight control or reduction, including prohibiting such adverts from being directed at or containing anything likely to appeal particularly to under-18s or those for whom weight reduction would produce a potentially harmful body weight. The ASA has banned a number of influencer posts promoting prescription-only weight loss injections, and also ran a call for evidence last year on advertising giving rise to potential body image concerns.
The Online Safety Act will require all user-to-user and search services accessed by children to put in place systems and processes designed to prevent children from encountering user-generated content, including advertising, that is harmful to them. Content that promotes, encourages or provides instructions for eating disorders has been designated as a type of ‘priority’ content harmful to children under the Act. The Act also requires providers to put in place age-appropriate protections from any other content, even where this has not been designated as ‘priority’ harmful content, that risks causing significant harm to an appreciable number of children.
The Government is committed to supporting local and regional newspapers as vital pillars of communities and local democracy. They play an essential role in holding power to account, keeping the public informed of local issues and providing reliable, high-quality information.
We are working to support journalism and local newsrooms to ensure the sustainability of this vital industry. This includes our new digital markets regime, which will help rebalance the relationship between the most powerful platforms and those who rely on them – including press publishers. This will make an important contribution to the sustainability of the press, including at local level.
Additionally, our support for the sector has included the delivery of the £2 million Future News Fund; the zero rating of VAT on e-newspapers; the extension of a 2017 business rates relief on local newspaper office space until 2025; the publication of the Online Media Literacy Strategy; and the BBC also supports the sector directly, through the £8m it spends each year on the Local News Partnership, including the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
The Government is committed to supporting local and regional newspapers as vital pillars of communities and local democracy. They play an essential role in holding power to account, keeping the public informed of local issues and providing reliable, high-quality information.
We are working to support journalism and local newsrooms to ensure the sustainability of this vital industry. This includes our new digital markets regime, which will help rebalance the relationship between the most powerful platforms and those who rely on them – including press publishers. This will make an important contribution to the sustainability of the press, including at local level.
Additionally, our support for the sector has included the delivery of the £2 million Future News Fund; the zero rating of VAT on e-newspapers; the extension of a 2017 business rates relief on local newspaper office space until 2025; the publication of the Online Media Literacy Strategy; and the BBC also supports the sector directly, through the £8m it spends each year on the Local News Partnership, including the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
This government is providing significant investment and support to Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations. For example, in March we announced a package of over £100 million to support charities and community organisations in England with cost of living pressures, and over this spending review period we are investing over £500 million in youth services in England.
Alongside this we are also providing targeted support that will build capacity across the VCSE sector. For example, we are delivering one-to-one business support and peer learning for early stage social enterprises in disadvantaged areas through the £4.1 million Social Enterprise Boost Fund. Similarly, the £900,000 VCSE Contract Readiness Programme is boosting the capacity of VCSE organisations in England to better compete for government contracts.
In addition, we recently announced further support for the youth sector. We have allocated £250,000 through the Local Youth Partnerships Fund to support the set up of additional local youth partnerships to boost the range, quality, accountability and sustainability of frontline services for young people through greater local coordination and cooperation. We are also providing core funding for 8 regional youth work units in England to improve their practices and ensure a consistent minimum level of regional leadership to develop and support the delivery of youth services. Finally, in order to further build the youth sector capacity, we have also announced £800,000 of new funding to provide bursaries for 500 people who would otherwise be unable to afford to undertake youth work qualifications. This builds on over 2,000 bursaries funded to date.
The department remains in regular dialogue with key VCSE sector stakeholders to monitor the health of the sector and to identify shared priorities.
The government has been clear that all broadcasters and production companies have a responsibility to the mental health and wellbeing of both participants and viewers, and must ensure that they have appropriate levels of support in place.
It is an employer's duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of all their employees and other people who might be affected by their work activities. In 2019, following a rise in complaints about the mental health and wellbeing of programme participants, Ofcom launched a review of their protections for people who appear on television. New Ofcom rules to protect the wellbeing of people who appear on television have now been in place since 5 April 2021.
In addition, the government is keen that the creative industries maintain momentum in improving working practices. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) hosted a creative industries-wide roundtable on welfare issues in June 2021, at which a number of factors were identified as contributing towards instances of bullying, harassment and discrimination (BHD) in the creative industries. Work on the BHD agenda has been led by Creative UK and has resulted in industry establishing the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) to address these issues. It is well supported by the Broadcast TV sector, who provided seed funding for the CIISA. Further information about the scope and work of the CIISA can be found on their website.
Additionally, work is being done to improve job quality for all those working in the creative industries. The Good Work Review, published in February 2023 by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre, was co-funded by DCMS and is the first sectoral deep dive of its kind into job quality and working practice in the creative industries. As part of the Creative Industries Sector Vision the government has committed, together with industry, to set out an action plan to assess the recommendations of this review.
The Government is disappointed that the BBC is planning to reduce parts of its local radio output. I met with the BBC and expressed our shared concerns in this House. I made clear that it must continue to provide distinctive and genuinely local radio services, with content that represents communities from all corners of the UK.
Ultimately, the BBC is editorially and operationally independent, and it is for them to decide how to deliver its services. However, I expect them to consider the views of this House when they make the decision over whether to proceed.
The Government recognises there are barriers which exist and prevent some people from participating in sport and physical activity, including access to sports grounds and facilities. We want to remain at the forefront of equality and continue to do all that we can to tackle these.
We work closely with our arm’s length bodies, Sport England and UK Sport, and sector partners to encourage sport bodies to make sport and facilities more accessible. Sport England is developing a new plan called ‘Accessible and Inclusive Sports Facilities’ that will be published this year.
The Government expects all sports and all clubs to take the necessary action to fulfil their legal obligation under the Equality Act of 2010 to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people are not placed at a substantial disadvantage when accessing sports venues. With the support of Level Playing Field, the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) developed the Accessible Stadia document and Accessible Stadia Supplementary Guidance as a benchmark of good practice for new and existing sports grounds. It offers practical, clear solutions that will help deliver high-quality grounds with facilities and services that are accessible, inclusive and welcoming for all.
Local Authorities have a statutory duty to allocate funding to youth services in line with local need. This is funded from the Local Government settlement, which was over £12 billion this year. DCMS are currently reviewing the statutory duty and its associated guidance to assess the effectiveness after a call for responses from key youth stakeholders.
The Government recognises the vital role that youth services and activities play in improving the life chances and wellbeing of young people. It is this government’s commitment that by 2025, every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home and opportunities to volunteer. This will be supported by a three year £560 million investment in youth services through the National Youth Guarantee.
The National Citizen Service will receive £171 million over the next three years to support the newly announced National Youth Guarantee and provide hundreds of thousands young people from all backgrounds with opportunities to become ‘work-ready and world-ready’.
This represents approximately 30% of this Department’s £560 million investment into youth programmes over the next three years.
I refer to an answer given to a recent parliamentary question 127585.
The National Citizen Service (NCS) is a universal programme that is available to all 15-17 year olds, and maintains a policy that no young person is prevented from taking part.
NCS is able to engage a diverse group of young people, over-indexing in participation rates compared to the national population for certain priority groups. In 2019, 23% of participants were on free school meals, 16.3% were living in Opportunity Areas, 29% were from BAME communities, and 6.2% had special educational needs or disabilities.
NCS ensures that disadvantaged young people can access the programme through various measures:
Bursary schemes, which cover 80% of the participant contribution, reducing it to £10 or, in some cases, entirely. In Summer 2021, over 10,000 young people accessed a bursary.
The NCS Inclusion Fund, which enables NCS’s network of providers to remove barriers to taking part in the programme, supporting young people with transport, food, and kit. In 2021, almost 300 young people benefited from the fund.
A dedicated community engagement team focused on increasing accessibility by considering differing levels of deprivation and connecting with local youth organisations and Local Authorities.
NCS remains committed to removing these access barriers and continues to develop approaches to overcoming them.
DCMS provides funding for a range of youth programmes benefitting young people in the Midlands and right across England, such as the National Citizen Service (NCS). DCMS recently announced a new National Youth Guarantee, ensuring that by 2025, every young person in England will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home and opportunities to volunteer.
The Youth Investment Fund, however, is a geographically targeted fund levelling up access to youth services in those areas that need it most. Ministerial decisions regarding which areas would be eligible to apply were taken on the basis of high quality, robust and publicly available data. The eligible areas and a detailed explanation of the methodology is available on the GOV.UK website here.
19 upper tier local authorities across the East and West Midlands qualify in whole or part for support from YIF, covering over 350,000 young people between the ages of 11-18.
It is not possible to assess the proportion of this investment that will be awarded to these Midlands areas as applications for Phase 1 of the fund are currently being reviewed and Phase 2 of the fund will open later this year.
The National Citizen Service (NCS) is a universal programme that is available to all 15-17 year olds, and maintains a policy that no young person is prevented from taking part because of cost.
NCS is able to engage a diverse group of young people, over-indexing in participation rates compared to the national population for certain priority groups. In 2019, 23% of participants were on free school meals (compared to 14% nationally) and 16.3% were living in Opportunity Areas (compared to 14.4% nationally).
NCS ensures that young people from low income families can access the programme through various measures:
Bursary schemes, which cover 80% of the participant contribution, reducing it to £10 or, in some cases, entirely. In Summer 2021, over 10,000 young people accessed a bursary.
The NCS Inclusion Fund, which enables NCS’s network of providers to remove barriers to taking part in the programme, supporting young people with transport, food, and kit. In 2021, almost 300 young people benefited from the fund.
A dedicated community engagement team focused on increasing accessibility by considering differing levels of deprivation and connecting with local youth organisations and Local Authorities.
Nonetheless, there is a perceived barrier for some. 2021 survey results from 1,640 young people show that for those not interested in participating in NCS, 7% cited cost as the reason. This is significantly lower than other reasons including wanting to spend time doing other things and concerns about coronavirus. NCS remains committed to removing these perceived barriers and continues to develop approaches to overcoming them.