Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of youth services on (a) preventing exclusions, (b) increasing school attendance and (c) educational attainment.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

This Government fully recognises the importance of youth services to live safe and healthy lives, and the positive impact youth services can have on young people, including in educational settings.

That is why we are co-producing a new National Youth Strategy. The Strategy will better coordinate youth services and policy at a local, regional and national level, moving away from siloed working - ensuring we are better coordinated and more than the sum of our parts.

We have commissioned an evidence review alongside our engagement with young people and the youth sector, to inform the development of the National Youth Strategy. An interim report will be published this Spring.

We know that youth services will help deliver the government’s missions, and the National Youth Strategy will work alongside the work on development of Young Future hubs, the Curriculum and Assessment Review and further work across government to fulfill our commitment to improve young people’s lives.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of funding grassroots bowls on (a) tackling loneliness and (b) public health.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

We are committed to providing support for grassroots clubs who provide access and opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity. Bowls has a unique and important role to play in tackling loneliness through supporting people to have the social connections they need and in driving positive public health outcomes.

Our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England has a long-term partnership with the Bowls Development Alliance. It has awarded them over £1.8m (since 2022) in investment and funding. Sport England also provides free resources and support to grassroots sports clubs and volunteers through its Buddle tool. Furthermore, Sport England’s Movement Fund also offers crowdfunding pledges, grants and resources to improve physical activity opportunities for the people and communities who need it the most which includes the refurbishment or upgrading facilities.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support she provides to grassroots bowls clubs.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

We are committed to providing support for grassroots clubs who provide access and opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity. Bowls has a unique and important role to play in tackling loneliness through supporting people to have the social connections they need and in driving positive public health outcomes.

Our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England has a long-term partnership with the Bowls Development Alliance. It has awarded them over £1.8m (since 2022) in investment and funding. Sport England also provides free resources and support to grassroots sports clubs and volunteers through its Buddle tool. Furthermore, Sport England’s Movement Fund also offers crowdfunding pledges, grants and resources to improve physical activity opportunities for the people and communities who need it the most which includes the refurbishment or upgrading facilities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her planned timetable is for (a) decision-making and (b) funding allocation for embedded youth work in A&Es to support young victims of (i) violence and (ii) exploitation.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets mission. Prevention and early intervention to stop young people being drawn into crime is an integral part of that mission. That’s why the Government’s manifesto committed to offering young people a pathway out of violence by placing youth workers and mentors in A&E units and Alternative Provision Schools.

A&E navigator programmes are currently funded by Violence Reduction Units that are located in the areas worst affected by serious violence. These programmes place navigators, such as youth workers, in hospital emergency rooms to support children and young people with a violence-related injury and offer a pathway out of violence. We have provided £49.7m in 2025/6 for the continuation of the VRU programme, which includes provision for A&E navigators in VRU areas.

This year (25/26), we will continue to build on, and learn from, the work already underway on A&E navigators as well as working with the Youth Endowment Fund to further strengthen provision and ensure victims of violence and exploitation are supported.

Found: Hon Damian Hinds (Conservative; East Hampshire) Dr Rupa Huq (Labour; Ealing Central and Acton) Natasha Irons

Found: 61.5%) Dr Rupa Huq (Labour, Ealing Central and Acton) (added 21 Oct 2024) 15 of 19 (78.9%) Natasha Irons

Found: Members present: Dame Caroline Dinenage (Chair); Zöe Franklin; Mr James Frith; Damian Hinds; Natasha Irons

Found: Members present: Dame Caroline Dinenage (Chair); Zöe Franklin; Mr James Frith; Damian Hinds; Natasha Irons

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Caroline Dinenage (Chair); Damian Hinds; Dr Rupa Huq; Natasha Irons

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Caroline Dinenage (Chair); Damian Hinds; Dr Rupa Huq; Natasha Irons