§ 5. Mr. Sutcliffeasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what machinery is to be set up for consultation between central Government and voluntary youth organisations at national level; and what will be the machinery at local level.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeGood arrangements already exist for consulting the national bodies concerned. Under the new arrangements for financing Youth Service, village and community hall capital projects, local education authorities will be asked to inform the Department annually of those schemes they propose to assist. My right hon. Friend has encouraged the establishment of local joint committees where they do not already exist.
§ Mr. SutcliffeIs my hon. Friend aware that voluntary youth organisations are disturbed at the lack of consultation about future policy regarding consultative machinery, partnership and capital and headquarters' grants? If local education authorities are to be made the final arbiters on capital grants, many worth-while projects will be snuffed out at local level.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeI am not sure whether my hon. Friend has seen the 1819 reply which my right hon. Friend gave yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock (Mr. Cormack).
§ Mr. Sutcliffe indicated dissent.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeHe indicates that he has not. I draw his attention to that answer because, in it, he will find that, in terms of capital grant in the interim period, it goes a long way to meeting the representations which have been made and which are the outcome of the very consultations he has asked us to undertake.
§ 21. Mr. Sutcliffeasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science on what date she proposes to meet representatives of the Standing Conference of National Voluntary Youth Organisations to discuss government policy for the Youth Service.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeMy noble Friend met representatives of the Standing Conference and the National Councils of Social Service for both England and Wales on 29th July.
§ Mr. SutcliffeMay I thank my hon. Friend for that reply? Would he agree that it is important that voluntary youth organisations should know how they fit into the urban aid programme and how they can fit into the educational priority area proposals? Is it not important, when many young school-leavers are unemployed, to concentrate efforts on assisting them?
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeAll of these matters are important. My hon. Friend's Question was directed towards consultation and I hope that my Answer shows that there is very real, and, on the Government side, meaningful consultation with the voluntary representatives.