HC Deb 21 May 2003 vol 405 cc833-4W
Mr. Ben Chapman

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the role of medium sized voluntary youth organisations in activity schemes for young people, with particular reference to Positive Activities for Young People. [114200]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

Voluntary youth organisations are key to the successful delivery of youth work programmes. The sector supported the design of the new Positive Activities for Young People programme. As a result the programme has been designed to encourage voluntary sector involvement at the local level.

Mr. Ben Chapman

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the administrative costs incurred as a result of using Connexions as the delivery agent for Positive Activities for Young People. [114201]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

The Department for Education and Skills provides a maximum of 10 per cent. of regional allocation to support administrative costs for Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP) Lead Delivery Agents, many of whom are Connexions Partnerships. These costs include local marketing of the programme, staff resource to support the development of plans and the costs of implementing the programme. Evidence from the regions suggests that these administration costs are much less than this (e.g.6 per cent. in the Wirral). A separate top slice of £2.6 million has been set aside to fund the national evaluation, national management information system, brand development and national support service.

Mr. Ben Chapman

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the role of the voluntary sector within the Positive Activities for Young People scheme. [114203]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

Government Offices (GOs) and Lead Delivery Agents (LDAs) have been advised to work with a variety of local partners including voluntary and community sector organisations to deliver Positive Activities for Young People. This sector has a very important role to play in the delivery of the programme and is able to reach the most disadvantaged young people. Very often community organisations have the best knowledge about the local needs of an area. This knowledge is being drawn on to inform the targeting of the programme in many areas.

Mr. Ben Chapman

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills to what extent(a) health, (b) underachievement and (c) exclusion are taken into account when targeting young people to participate in the Positive Activities for Young People scheme. [114205]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

Positive Activities for Young People programme is aimed at diverting and developing those young people most at risk of social exclusion and committing crime, encouraging engagement in the community, and through voluntary activity programmes, contributing to the promotion of strong and active communities.Government Offices, Lead Delivery Agents and Connexions Partnerships are working closely with other key local partners such as the Youth Offending Teams, Children's Fund Partnerships and Behaviour and Improvement Schools. Together these agencies identify the young people to be targeted to receive intensive key worker support. The factors that are considered include truancy rates, involvement in crime, family background and academic achievement.