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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that youth arts are sufficiently funded to help young people with mental health problems.

Her Majesty’s Government recognises the benefits that non-medical interventions can have on physical and mental health.

Arts Council England works with Bridge Organisations and Music Education Hubs which play a key role in working with local authorities and schools to support the good health of children and young people. They are also working in partnership with the Youth Endowment Fund on research into the links between creativity and improved mental health.

The Arts Council also funds a number of organisations across the country which provide arts programmes that aim to help and support young people with mental health problems. These include the Knotted Project in Cumbria, the Thriving Communities project delivered by Wolverhampton Voluntary Sector Council, and the North Tyneside Cultural Education Partnership which is piloting cultural social prescribing delivered through schools for 5-19 year olds.

In addition, DCMS will be providing £560 million of taxpayer’s money to deliver the National Youth Guarantee which includes the delivery of up to 300 new and refurbished youth spaces and services in areas of the country which may not have benefitted as much as they should have done in the past.