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| All-Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Affairs | |
|---|---|
| Name | All-Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Affairs |
| Formation | 2000s |
| Type | All-party parliamentary group |
| Location | Westminster, London |
| Leaders | Cross-party chairs |
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Affairs is a cross-party forum of Members of Parliament and Lords formed to address matters affecting young people. It convenes MPs, Lords, and external stakeholders including charities, corporate bodies, and public bodies to examine youth-related issues. The group engages with parliamentary procedures, civil society, and service providers to influence debates in the House of Commons and House of Lords.
The group aims to represent youth voices by scrutinising policy areas that affect adolescents and young adults across the UK, engaging with organisations such as Barnardo's, Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, National Citizen Service, Citizens Advice, and Prince's Trust. It seeks to inform parliamentary inquiries and evidence sessions alongside institutions like House of Commons Library, House of Lords Select Committee on Communications, Department for Education, Department of Health and Social Care, and regional bodies including Greater London Authority and Scottish Parliament. Objectives include promoting youth participation referenced by bodies such as United Nations Children's Fund, European Youth Forum, Council of Europe, and delivery partners like Save the Children. The group prioritises topics that intersect with legislation influenced by peers from Conservative Party (UK), Labour Party (UK), Liberal Democrats (UK), and devolved party representatives from Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru.
Membership comprises MPs and Lords from multiple parties, supported by a secretariat often provided by charities or parliamentary staff linked to Research Councils UK, think tanks such as IPPR, Institute for Public Policy Research, Demos (think tank), and external advisers from organisations like YouthLink, YMCA, and UK Youth. Officers typically include a chair, vice-chairs, and a treasurer drawn from cross-party peers and backbenchers previously serving on committees including the Education Select Committee, Public Accounts Committee (Commons), and Justice Committee (Commons). The secretariat coordinates meetings in rooms near Palace of Westminster and liaises with parliamentary groups including the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social Mobility and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health. Membership criteria mirror other APPGs, referencing registration protocols overseen by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
Activities include all-party meetings, stakeholder roundtables, evidence sessions with organisations such as YoungMinds, Samaritans, Mind (charity), and delivery partners including UK Youth Parliament, National Youth Agency, and academic institutions like University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, London School of Economics, and University College London. Initiatives have addressed transitions to work with partners like Jobcentre Plus, apprenticeships coordinated with Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, and programmes involving Skills Development Scotland. The group organises events timed with national observances such as National Youth Work Week and international frameworks like the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, coordinating cross-sectoral responses involving Public Health England, Care Quality Commission, and local authorities such as Manchester City Council and Birmingham City Council.
The APPG commissions evidence-based reports drawing on submissions from charities and research institutes including Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Resolution Foundation, Centre for Social Justice, Policy Exchange, and universities such as University of Manchester and King's College London. Publications have covered youth unemployment referencing statistics produced by Office for National Statistics, youth mental health with contributions from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and exploitation with analyses from National Crime Agency. Reports are launched in parliamentary events often attended by MPs who sit on select committees like the Work and Pensions Committee (Commons) and the Home Affairs Committee (Commons).
The group provides evidence and recommendations cited in inquiries conducted by bodies such as the Education Select Committee (Commons), Joint Committee on Human Rights, and the Public Accounts Committee. It has engaged with ministers from Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, and Ministry of Justice during consultations on legislation affecting youth employment, mental health services, and safeguarding. Influences are visible in policy shifts associated with programmes run by Department for Education and funding changes involving Big Lottery Fund allocations. Cross-references appear in parliamentary debates in both House of Commons of the United Kingdom and House of Lords.
Criticism has arisen over perceived lobbying links between APPG secretariats and external funders such as private foundations and corporate sponsors, drawing scrutiny akin to cases involving other APPGs linked to organisations like Facebook and Amazon (company). Questions about transparency have prompted attention from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and media outlets including BBC News, The Guardian, The Times, and The Daily Telegraph. Some civil society actors such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have criticised specific recommendations for lacking sufficient safeguards or evidence, while select committee witnesses from Children's Commissioner for England have at times challenged the group's conclusions.
The forum emerged in the early 2000s amid wider APPG expansion that included groups focused on Youth Unemployment and youth civic engagement, aligning with national initiatives such as the launch of the Youth Opportunity Initiative and the New Deal for Young People era debates. Milestones include report launches convened with leaders from Prince's Trust, evidence sessions influenced by research from National Centre for Social Research, and collaborations with devolved institutions including the Senedd and Northern Ireland Assembly. Key moments have intersected with national events like the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the passage of legislation connected to the Welfare Reform Act 2012, and policy shifts after the COVID-19 pandemic that affected youth services and employment trajectories.
Category:All-party parliamentary groups of the United Kingdom