HC Deb 04 February 1986 vol 91 cc131-2
5. Mr. Lawler

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on Britain's role and position at the European Youth Ministers meeting.

Mr. Dunn

As a member state of the Council of Europe, the United Kingdom was among those invited by the French Government to participate in the conference of European Ministers of Youth held in Strasbourg last December to mark International Youth Year.

Mr. Lawler

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that reply. As participation was the central theme of that conference, will my hon. Friend outline what the Government intend to do to encourage participation by young people nationally and locally once the youth circular replies are all in? What will the Government do to advise local authorities on how they can encourage meaningful participation by young people locally in all bodies, ranging from tenants' associations to district-wide youth councils?

Mr. Dunn

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that question. He will know that the need for young people to participate in youth service consultative bodies locally and nationally was stressed in circular 1/85. The appointment of three young people to the National Advisory Council for the Youth Service is an example of the Government's commitment. We are receiving responses to our circular from local authorities, and steps are being taken to ensure that we have a full response. Further statements will be made in due course.

Mr. Fletcher

Do we have a Youth Minister? If so, why? Is it really my hon. Friend?

Mr. Dunn

We have a Youth Minister, and it is a very good thing.

Mr. Sheerman

I am delighted to hear that there is a Youth Minister. We are not quite sure who it is. Will the Minister go back to his European colleagues, who have well-established youth interests, and tell them that the British need to take a new initiative because International Youth Year left British youth worse off, worse employed, and worse trained than youth in any other western European nation? When will he learn something from the Europeans and then come back here and implement it?

Mr. Dunn

Some 41 recommendations were agreed at the conference. The difficulty with having a Minister solely responsible for youth is that a number of Departments of State and agencies of state have a youth interest. Therefore, to have a designated Youth Minister in the sense that the hon. Gentleman would like might appear to be only a gimmick. As for future developments, the hon. Gentleman will simply have to wait and see.