Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the (a) process and (b) criteria is for the selection of young future hubs.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. Too many children and young people do not have access to the same enrichment opportunities as their peers, suffer from poor mental health and, in some cases, end up being drawn into crime rather than going on to achieve and thrive. Young Futures Hubs are just one part of addressing this, as part of a much wider youth landscape which will be brought together in the forthcoming youth strategy.

Using evidence of what works, officials from across a range of departments are working together to shape how the Young Futures Hubs will work in practice. To roll-out Young Futures Hubs, building on the success of existing infrastructure and provision, the department will establish a number of early adopter hubs. Locations for these will be determined by where they would have the most impact. These early adopters and the work in local areas will inform the longer-term development of the programme, including how quickly we move to a greater number of hubs. More details on timelines will be set out in due course.