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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the report by YMCA Cut Loose, published on 6 December, that local authorities have cut more than £781 million from youth services since 2010; and what steps they are taking to address this.

Local authorities are responsible for allocating public funding to youth services in their area. We believe they are best placed to know what is required in their communities.

Government recognises the transformational impact that youth services can have for young people. Since 2014/15 the Office for Civil Society, which is now in DCMS, has spent more than £667 million on youth programmes.

Government has also committed to review the guidance which sets out the statutory duty placed on local authorities to provide appropriate local youth services to improve young people’s wellbeing.