Leeds West MP Rachel Reeves has warned a generation of young people are being let down by the Government’s “devastating” cuts to youth services.
New analysis by the House of Commons Library reveals average spending per 16-24-year-old in Yorkshire and the Humber has fallen from £160 in 2011/12 to just £64 in 2018/19 – down 60%.
Average spending per 16-24-year-old in England has fallen from £142 in 2011/12 to just £56 in 2018/19 – down 60%.
Only the West Midlands, the North East and the North West saw bigger falls in spending per young person than Yorkshire & the Humber.
Further analysis reveals that while the least deprived areas saw spending fall by just over half, in the most deprived areas it fell by two thirds –above the average for the country as a whole.
Rachel Reeves warned that the Conservatives are set to break their manifesto promise to fund youth services, failing a generation of young people.
She has called on the Government to stick to their manifesto pledge to provide £500 million to youth services by April 2020 and deliver this critical fund to prevent more youth centres being forced to close. She said:
“Youth services are a lifeline for young people in Leeds and across the country, particularly those living in deprived areas. But with devastating Government cuts, hundreds of youth centres have closed in every region, leaving young people isolated at this incredibly difficult time.”
You can follow all our coverage of the cuts by following this link to WLD Cutswatch coverage.