The Bishop of Peterborough received the following written answer on 1st September 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Peterborough asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of youth club closures on levels of anti-social behaviour and youth offending in England.
Baroness Twycross (Lab, DCMS): DCMS published research in 2024 that found decreased investment in youth provision correlates with rises in shoplifting, bike theft, and reoffending among young offenders aged 15-17.
This Government recognises the vital role youth services play in providing opportunities for young people to live safe and healthy lives. In December 2025, DCMS launched “Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy”. This ten year strategy will ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. It is funded by over £500 million from DCMS. We are currently designing how this funding will be spent, with input from a wide range of stakeholders, and are committed to working with areas of greatest need across England.
Local Authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of youth services in their area. We will explore reviewing this duty as part of a wider review of local statutory duties. Through our Local Youth Transformation programme we will continue to support local authorities to rebuild a high-quality offer for young people and transition back to local youth services leadership.
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