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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure a place-based approach to funding of youth services.

The National Youth Strategy includes a shift from national to local. This will renew focus on the role, capability, and leadership of local authorities, with a place-based approach to funding to empower local communities and young people in designing their local youth offers. Through this approach, we are committed to ensuring funding reaches those most in need across the length and breadth of England.

The £70m Local Youth Transformation programme is improving local authorities’ capability to rebuild a high-quality youth offer and develop a network of 50 Young Futures Hubs. We are also simplifying local authority grant funding across government and consolidating local funding for young people and families where possible. This provides greater local flexibility and sustainability.