Youth Service (Hansard, 5 April 1990)

§ Mr. MacGregor

From 1 April 1991, I have decided to build on the experience and expertise of the national level youth service bodies I currently fund, particularly the unit comprising the National Youth Bureau and the Council for the Education and Training of Youth and Community Workers, by channelling that funding through one single, high-profile and comprehensive national youth agency (NYA). This will have clear responsibility to work with both the voluntary and the local authority sectors of the youth service to improve the quality, range and effectiveness of their responses to the priority objectives we are establishing with them.

To ensure a co-ordinated approach, I shall fund this body to undertake a range of education-related functions, including the development of curricular content and methods, especially in advice and counselling; the development, endorsement, accreditation and, where necessary, the provision of youth worker training; the collection, dissemination and publication of information; support for managers of youth service organisations and operations, particularly in the voluntary sector, including management training; response to international interests and programmes; and direct support for Government initiatives in these areas. It will be open to other Departments and agencies to support similar work through the agency in their particular areas of responsibility.

In recognition of the valuable contribution of the voluntary sector, and to realise an effective partnership between it and the local authority sector, I propose to implement the recommendations of the efficiency scrutiny of Government funding of the voluntary sector, published yesterday, by requiring the director personally to ensure that the agency, its work and staff are responsive to the needs of the voluntary sector and of volunteers, and to report to me annually on this. I propose also to permit the body to fund voluntary youth organisations to undertake curriculum and training development projects as an integral part of its functions in these areas. I shall expect 732W it, in all the work I fund, to promote the active participation of young people, and to seek to secure private sponsorship and otherwise increase its income from non-Government sources.

These arrangements are designed to meet the needs of the clients of the bodies I currently fund. Should, however, the National Council for the Voluntary Youth Service and the National Association of Young People's Counselling and Advisory Services and the British Youth Council consider the needs of their members would not be fully met, I would be prepared to explore the possibility of them competing for limited funding as national voluntary youth organisations, for eligible programmes of work outside the scope of the national youth agency. Once this has been determined, my officials will consult the territorial education Departments as to which of the national youth agency's functions could usefully be undertaken in respect of their areas and otherwise to secure co-operation and co-ordination with any comparable bodies they fund. Detailed arrangements for managing the national youth agency will be settled in consultation with the interests concerned.