Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nick Hurd and Nick de Bois

Wednesday 30th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Mr Nick Hurd)]

The National Citizen Service is growing fast and is proving enormously popular with young people. The research shows clearly that it helps to develop life skills that employers value, and that for every £1 of public money we invest, society is receiving £3 of value back.

[Nick de Bois]

I thank the Minister for that answer. I was privileged to attend a challenge network campaign day in my constituency, where social action projects were put into effective and lasting programmes across the constituency. What steps will the Minister take to roll out the National Citizen Service further and expand it, and will he join me in congratulating the efforts of Enfield youngsters?

[Mr Hurd]

I certainly join my hon. Friend in congratulating Enfield youngsters and all youngsters across the country who have participated in the National Citizen Service on their efforts. He may be interested to know that to date the young people have contributed more than 1 million hours of their time to volunteer and do good work in communities. They get a huge amount out of that process, which is why we are ambitious to grow it and have said that we will make at least 90,000 places available next year.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nick Hurd and Nick de Bois

Wednesday 4th September 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hurd]

The Government take the whole issue of cybercrime incredibly seriously. I am not sure that we are going to take any lectures on trust in public statistics from the Labour party; the reason the UK Statistics Authority is in place is because public trust in Government statistics cratered after 13 years of Labour, for ever associated with the dark arts of spin and media manipulation.

[Nick de Bois (Enfield North) (Con)]

3. What steps he is taking to ensure that more small and medium-sized companies win business from Government.