§ Mr. Hilary BennTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what criteria will be used to assess which careers guidance services are appropriate for transfer to the combined Youth Support Service; who will undertake this assessment; and what role interested partners will play in this process. [104695]
§ Mr. WicksWe are creating a new service with a new vision to ensure that all young people have access to the support and guidance services they need, when and where they need it, co-ordinating the services currently provided by an array of different agencies concerned with different aspects of young people's lives. We expect that the best careers service companies, together with a range of other local partners, will play a major role in the new arrangements. At this stage no decision has been made regarding any assessment criteria. We shall be announcing shortly the key functions that we expect the new support service to perform and how we will involve major partners in developing and implementing the new service.