Government announces continuing support for UK Youth Parliament

24 March 2011

This press statement follows a Written Ministerial Statement by Tim Loughton MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families to the House of Commons today and confirms governance changes for the UK Youth Parliament within the context of receiving continued Government support for the programme.

The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is widely respected for its work in engaging young people in local communities across the country, and giving children and young people a voice on matters that affect them.

We are pleased that the Department for Education (DfE) on behalf of the Government has confirmed that it wishes to sustain, promote and improve the representation of young people in public decision-making, through securing the continued delivery of the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) programme which has been funded by the Department and its predecessors over the last 10 years.

The Trustees of the UK Youth Parliament have announced the following:

- Due to the way the Department for Education on behalf of Government is streamlining its grant funding with targeted support of voluntary sector organisations, arrangements to fund UKYP are changing.

- This will affect the governance of UKYP in the short term whilst plans are prepared to ensure UKYP has a successful future, with the continued support of Government as a partner.

- Democracy for Young People Ltd is the charitable trust that currently hosts the UK Youth Parliament as its sole activity. Trustees of the charity have decided to wind this body up and work with the British Youth Council over the interim period as its new host partner to ensure the programme of the UK Youth Parliament continues and that all young people involved are continued to be supported, and local authority/partner involvement remains encouraged and important.

- Democracy for Young People Ltd and the Department have been working together and will now support the British Youth Council to ensure a smooth transition, with especial regard to the services to elected Members of Youth Parliament and their Deputies, our Procedures Group and the support mechanisms in places for regional programme delivery.

- As per the Written Ministerial Statement, the Department will be offering a grant to the British Youth Council for £335,000 on a temporary (six month) basis whilst longer term arrangements are considered. A grant of £65,000 will be accepted by Democracy for Young People Ltd to support the effective and smooth transition required to ensure the delivery of these objectives.

- Further information will be made available in due course. Democracy for Young People Ltd is working with all staff and contractors affected and is committed to supporting a smooth transition, focussed on ensuring the best possible outcomes for children and young people which engage in UKYP.

The Written Ministerial Statement is as follows:

Written Ministerial Statement

Department for Education

UK YOUTH PARLIAMENT

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families (Tim Loughton MP):

The Government will provide continuing support into 2011-12 to the UK Youth Parliament. Following a limited competitive bidding exercise the Department for Education proposes to award a grant of £335,000 to the British Youth Council to continue the UK Youth Parliament’s key functions and sustain its independence and distinct identity for six months from April 2011. This proposal will be discussed by the trustees of the current host charity for the UK Youth Parliament, Democracy for Young People Ltd, at its meeting on 30 March. The aim of this proposal is to secure continued support for the work of the 600 young people who are Members of the Youth Parliament or their Deputies. A short-term grant of £65,000 will be offered to Democracy for Young People Ltd to enable it to deliver a smooth transition. The Government is considering what arrangements would be appropriate to sustain the UK Youth Parliament in the longer-term. I am pleased that the Speaker of the House of Commons has confirmed continuing support for the UK Youth Parliament in 2011-12 including for the annual debate in the Commons chamber.

Giving young people a voice in public decisions which affect them is a key principle underpinning the Government's youth policy. Members of the UK Youth Parliament make a valuable contribution to making the voices of young people heard within formal democratic processes and these measures will ensure that their work can continue.

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