§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent meetings he has had regarding young people's involvement in the political process; and what the outcomes of those meetings were. [72386]
§ Mr. DenhamI have been asked to reply.
I have held a number of meetings with young people, members of the UK Youth Parliament, hon. Members, and the media, relating to the re-engagement of young people in democracy and voting. Those discussions have supported the recommendations of the YVote?/YNot? project published on 3 July.
§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what(a) legislation is in place and (b) programmes are being funded that encourage young people's involvement in the political process. [72387]
§ Mr. DenhamI have been asked to reply.
The Government have taken several legislative steps in recent years to modernise and simplify electoral law and processes so that they are more relevant to modern lifestyles, including those lived by young people. These measures should make access to the process more flexible and make it easier both to register to vote and to cast a ballot. The Government, with the help of others such as the Electoral Commission, will continue to consider carefully any suggestions for changes that will lead to increased involvement of the young in the electoral process.
The National Curriculum Order for Citizenship laid before Parliament on 23 June 2000 sets out the statutory requirements for citizenship education. The subject will be part of the national curriculum for secondary schools from this August. It will consist of three main strands: political literacy, social and moral responsibility and community involvement. These will help young people to develop the skills and confidence they need to engage in active citizenship and understand their role in the political process.
The Children and Young People's Unit will continue to work with a range of organisations to support the action recommended in the YVote?/YNot? project. The independent Electoral Commission, with whom the Children and Young People's Unit has been working closely, has a statutory responsibility for raising public awareness of the electoral process and democratic systems, and has run focused advertising campaigns aimed at encouraging higher levels of voter participation within specific communities, including young people. The commission intends to continue to run bi-annual advertising campaigns, linked to key dates in the electoral calendar, including local and national elections and the annual registration canvass. The commission will also be launching later this year a 'New Initiatives Fund' which will provide grant funding to individuals and organisations outside government to test innovative ideas aimed at increasing participation in elections by young people and others.
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