Paul Davies
Main Page: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)Department Debates - View all Paul Davies's debates with the Leader of the House
(3 weeks, 2 days ago)
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Paul Davies (Colne Valley) (Lab)
It is always good to be last, isn’t it? Last week, I had the pleasure of hosting Greenhead college, alongside my Kirklees colleagues, where we had some excellent discussions on a range of important topics, including the state of youth services. Under the previous Tory Governments, between 2010 and 2024, these services suffered a devastating 73% funding cut. Although £45 million has now been found and pledged and new strategies have been introduced, there remain inconsistencies. Does the Leader of the House agree that youth services are vital, and will the Government make a statement on their future?
Lucy Powell
Well, my hon. Friend is certainly one of my favourite MPs, even if he is not one of yours, Madam Deputy Speaker—last but certainly not least. He is absolutely right: youth services are critical to our communities. We are producing a bold, new national youth strategy, which will be coming to this House soon. I look forward to him contributing to it.