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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the provision of youth services in (a) St Helens North constituency, (b) Liverpool City Region and (c) the North West.

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.

The government recognises the vital role that youth services and activities play in improving the life chances and wellbeing of young people and is investing £560 million over the next 3 years in a new National Youth Guarantee, so that by 2025 every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home and opportunities to volunteer.

Phase 1 of the Youth Investment Fund is providing funding for local youth organisations in 45 local authorities and around 600 district wards in levelling up priority areas in parts of England, including eligible areas in the North West. Funding for Phase 1 of the Youth Investment Fund has now been allocated to successful applicants by BBC Children in Need, the Intermediary Grant Maker. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport plans to announce and publish a list of successful recipients of the grant on gov.uk in due course.