Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the rise in young people not in education, employment or training on local economic growth in Leicester; and what funding is being allocated to local authorities in the East Midlands to tackle this trend.

The government recognises that supporting young people into education, training and employment is key to economic growth and improving living standards. In 2026, 6.9% of 16 to 17-year-olds in Leicester were not in education, employment or training (NEET) or their activity was not known, unchanged from 2025. This was above the East Midlands rate of 6.2% and the England rate of 5.8%.

The government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over three years through the Youth Guarantee and Growth and Skills Levy, alongside measures to prevent young people from becoming NEET.

The East Midlands received £5 million as one of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers testing joined-up local approaches. In Leicester, the city council provides targeted prevention and re-engagement support through its Connexions service and is participating in the Adult Skills Fund Pathways to Devolution pilot. This will help strengthen local approaches to supporting young people into education, employment and training. Locally, Leicester College’s Launchpad programme supports young people furthest from the labour market.