YOUTH PARLIAMENT Friday 23 November 2012

Transcription

1 YOUTH PARLIAMENT Friday 23 November 2012

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3 1 23 NOVEMBER 2012 Youth Parliament 2 Youth Parliament Friday 23 November 2012 The UK Youth Parliament, sitting in the House of Commons, met at five minutes to Eleven o clock. Mr Robin Fell (Principal Doorkeeper): Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce myself. I am the Principal Doorkeeper of the House of Commons but on this day each year I have the very great pleasure and privilege of being the Principal Doorkeeper for the United Kingdom Youth Parliament. The Doorkeepers are here to assist you in any way we can. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to speak to any one of us. In the unlikely event that it is necessary to evacuate the Chamber for any reason, please act calmly and promptly on the instructions of the Doorkeepers. On behalf of the entire House of Commons service, I welcome you to this our Chamber. Many people have worked hard to make your day the success I am sure it will be, and some of them are present. Lawrence Ward, the Serjeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons has been in overall charge of the arrangements. A Serjeant is always present when the House sits and is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the Chamber and those within. Today Andrew is your Serjeant and, although the sword is real, I am sure he will not have recourse to it today. At the Table are your Clerks Tracey Jessup, Sara Howe and Sarah Hartwell-Naguib. Parliamentary Clerks are experts in the mysteries of parliamentary procedure, but I don t think you will be testing them too much today. In the front row of the Press Gallery are the Official Reporters. They will be producing the report or Hansard of your proceedings and will ensure that it is an accurate and complete record of your debates. Shortly Mr Speaker will arrive to chair your debate. When his arrival is announced by my colleague standing by the Chair, I would be grateful if you would stand and remain standing until either Mr Speaker sits or invites youtodoso. After some preliminary speeches, Mr Speaker will call your debate leads by name to open and close each motion. When the debate is thrown open to the floor those of you who wish to speak should indicate your desire to do so by standing. If you unable to stand, please raise your hand and perhaps wave your Order Paper. When Mr Speaker has chosen one of you, everyone else should sit down. If you are chosen, I would be grateful if you would pause for a couple of seconds to allow Mark Davis, our sound engineer, to locate you and switch on the appropriate microphone. You won t know this has happened no light will come on but just give him a couple of seconds and he will find you. Please start by giving your name and the region you represent. Look about you and enjoy this day with us. Lock deep inside you the memory of the day that you sat and some of you spoke in the British House of Commons. Apart from our own Members, you are the only people allowed to meet and debate in this place. It is the focal point of our democracy. It is where a free Parliament, freely elected by a free people can meet and discuss the issues of the day and decide what will and will not become part of the laws that will govern us all. We are fast approaching the time when the torch of democracy will pass from the hands of my generation into yours. Democracy is a powerful but sometimes fragile thing. As you go through life protect it, nurture it and respect it but, above all, use it and in due time pass it intact and unsullied to those who one day will come after you. Good luck in your debates today. Enjoy your day and thank you for your attention. [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] 11 am Mr Speaker: Good morning. What a joy it is to preside over such a calm and orderly Chamber not something, perhaps, to which I am altogether accustomed. This is the fourth meeting of the UK Youth Parliament here in the House of Commons, and I want to underline just how hugely welcome you are. My parliamentary colleagues and I are thrilled that you are present. All previous experience suggests that you will speak well, with passion and integrity, and conduct yourselves in a fashion that is a credit to you and to all young people across the country. Each and every one of us here should look forward to today with great interest and anticipation. The issues being debated today have been chosen by Members of the Youth Parliament, with the help of more than a quarter of a million of your peers, and I think I am right in emphasising that, of the five topics being debated, four were chosen by the public vote, and one by MYPs themselves, namely curriculum for life. Today, of course, you are debating with a view also to choosing the issue you wish to have as your national campaign. This debate is one of the highlights of Parliament week, and schools across the country have been taking part in Create the Debate, a project to encourage them to stage their own debates on the very issues the UKYP is discussing in this debate. We know that schools across the country are tuning in to watch, and that is hugely welcome. Just on process and housekeeping, let me say the following. First, MYPs who wish to speak should stand in their place, or raise their hands if seated in a wheelchair. Secondly, and most importantly, MYPs should always say their name and region at the beginning of their speech, otherwise Hansard the official record of our proceedings will be deficient: the Hansard writers will not know who you are unless you say. If you would be good enough just to pause momentarily before you start your speech, that will give an opportunity for the microphone to be activated. You are going to hear, very shortly, from the Leader of the House and the shadow Leader, whom it is my delight to welcome here today. The Leader of the House is Andrew Lansley, and the shadow Leader of the House is Angela Eagle. We also have with us the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Education the Children s Minister Edward Timpson. Edward, Andrew, Angela, it is a delight to have you here.

4 3 Youth Parliament HOUSE OF COMMONS Youth Parliament 4 Before we hear from Andrew and Angela, I call, in to order to read a message from the Prime Minister, Mr Rahib Shabir, from Yorkshire and Humberside. Rahib Shabir (Yorkshire and Humberside): Members of the UK Youth Parliament, I am delighted that you are gathering in the House of Commons today. This is your opportunity to debate the campaigns chosen by more than 250,000 young people. The Minister for Young People, Edward Timspon, is committed to improving services for all young children and young people. He has pledged to listen to young people and to transmit your views to the heart of Government. Your meeting today will give young people across the country the opportunity to influence the debate and issues that really matter to them. I want to thank the British Youth Council for organising such a big event. I wish you all every success with the debate, and I look forward to hearing your conclusions. Thank you. Mr Speaker: Rahib, thank you for reading that letter. We are all delighted to have the Prime Minister s support. I now call the Leader of the House of Commons, Mr Andrew Lansley, to say some words to us. The Leader of the House of Commons (Mr Andrew Lansley): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Members of the Youth Parliament, I am delighted today to welcome you, the Members of the Youth Parliament, for your fourth annual sitting. These sittings have become an established part of the parliamentary calendar. It is a testament to the work of MYPs, and to the youth workers and staff of the Youth Parliament who support them, that they have become so well established. As Leader of the House, I am the representative of the Government to the House of Commons and of the House of Commons to the Government, but today I am pleased to be able to be here to represent both the Government and the House with you, the Youth Parliament, and I know that what is said here today will be heard by both Government and Members of the House of Commons. Indeed, in the House yesterday I was able to cite the debates today and their relevance to current debates before the House of Commons. As Sir Winston Churchill said of this Chamber as work began to rebuild it after its wartime destruction in 1943, We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us. It is impossible not to be influenced by these surroundings and I know from your previous sittings here that the quality of debate by Members of the Youth Parliament reflects that well. The topics that have been selected for debate today will shape the work of the Youth Parliament for the coming year. I know, too, that they will shape the wider political landscape. As Leader of the House, a priority for me is to increase the public s engagement with Parliament. Through innovations such as the Government s e-petition site and work of the Backbench Business Committee here, we are making debates here more accessible to members of the public. I know that today s sitting, as part of Parliament Week, will also increase engagement with this place. In that respect there is no clearer sign of the great work that MYPs are doing than the 250,000 young people who took part in the Make your Mark ballot that chose today s debates. Debates in this Chamber have a special character. By contrast, I remember myself taking part in debates in school and at college. They were often rather more about style than substance. Sometimes they appeared to me to miss the point entirely. I remember at a student union debate I was president of my student union once we had a motion which instructed the United States to remove its troops from Angola. Instructed the United States that s a bit of a big ask. But here in this place debates are different. Debates have consequences. The most significant speeches are not necessarily the most stylish or the most fluent. They are the ones born of knowledge, of passion, of commitment and of concern. Most of all, they are made by those who are here not only to speak for themselves, but to represent the people. Today that is your opportunity to speak out, based on your convictions and concerns, to speak for young people whom you represent, and to speak out on issues which are relevant and where you can exert an influence. In doing so, it will be in the best traditions of parliamentary democracy. Before I finish, I pay tribute to my ministerial colleague, Ed Timpson, by my side, the Minister with responsibility for children and families, who is responsible for improving opportunities for young people, and specifically for the support which the Government provide to the Youth Parliament. I also pay tribute to his predecessor, Tim Loughton MP, who is a passionate and vocal supporter of the Youth Parliament inside and outside Government. I would also like to thank you, Mr Speaker, and through you the Officers of the House and the House Service, who have helped prepare for today, and many staff, including from my own office, who have volunteered their time to welcome Members of the Youth Parliament this morning. Finally, Members of the Youth Parliament, I wish you very well. I hope you will both enjoy your time here and leave this place inspired by its surroundings, the debates you will have, and the decisions you will reach, and inspired, perhaps, some of you, to return here as Members of Parliament one day in the future. Thank you. Mr Speaker: Andrew, thank you for that. Just before I ask Angela Eagle to say some words, I reference the fact that a number of colleagues are present to support the Parliament. Andrew, you have just referred to the former Children s Minister, Tim Loughton. It s great to see you in your place. We also have, immediately behind Tim, Karen Buck from Regent s Park and Kensington. That was her constituency name; if it has changed, it is that area and it is in London, and we are pleased to see her. Thank you for coming. We have Andrew Bingham in the Gallery, the Conservative Member for High Peak, and we have Nia Griffith, Labour Member of Parliament for Llanelli, who is in the Gallery as well. So colleagues are here to support you and, colleagues, it s great to see you here. I call the shadow Leader of the House, Angela Eagle. Ms Angela Eagle (Shadow Leader of the House): Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for calling me to speak, and I also thank my opposite number in this Chamber, the Leader of the House, for his warm words

5 5 Youth Parliament 23 NOVEMBER 2012 Youth Parliament 6 of welcome to you all; I, of course, echo them. If I can offer you all some advice before you start your debate today, I would say, Respect each other s contributions. We always demonstrate in our proceedings, Mr Speaker, how much we follow that particular idea. Make your arguments succinctly and be passionate about what you believe, because that is what politics is all about. I should warn you, though, not to make the same mistake that one MP from the Government Benches made earlier this year. Uniquely in the annals of Parliament, Mr Speaker, he interrupted his own speech when his musical tie went off and I can tell you that he got a very angry look from the Deputy Speaker in the Chair that day. You can see it on YouTube if you are interested. I hope you have all silenced any such gadgets that you have brought in with you, because if you have not I can tell you that they will almost certainly sabotage you by going off when you are in mid-flow. So, everything on silent, gadgets turned off and hopefully not brought in. Since its first sitting in 2000, the UK Youth Parliament has been a powerful voice for young people across the country. When you have all finished today, I hope that you will go back home and tell your friends and classmates about today s debate, and help to get more young people engaged in the political process, because I have always said that if you do not do politics, then you have it done to you. I would like to say how impressed I am that you have chosen to address such important issues today: transport; employment; marriage equality; and education. These are the issues that this House debates regularly and I am sure that your insights will inform our debates too. The current financial crisis has hit young people hard; 150, to 24-year-olds have been unemployed for more than six months. So it is more important now than ever that young people stand up and make their voices heard, and today is part of that process. All three major political parties have shown an interest in lowering the voting age to 16, so I hope that you can all be ambassadors to show that your generation are engaged, passionate and keen to get involved in the political process. By getting involved in the Youth Parliament, you understand that politics is not a spectator sport. You have shown that you are willing to take responsibility for articulating the vision of young people today and you have shown that you care about what is going on in our society, and you want to change it for the better. It has always been a wish of mine to see more women involved in politics. We need the voices of women and girls to be heard across the world if we are to make our societies fairer and more equal, and so I offer a particular welcome to the women who are here today. Be proud and speak out. Finally, today is not really about politicians like me talking about you; it is about debating issues that you have decided on that affect you most. So do not be nervous, enjoy it and I hope that you remember this experience for years to come. Mr Speaker: Angela, thank you for that. Colleagues, in case you are not aware, each debate is expected to run for approximately 25 minutes in total. So, although there is not a formal limit on speech length from the Back Benches, you will realise that we are looking for very short, punchy speeches, and I will try to accommodate as many colleagues as I can in the course of the day. The Youth Parliament will now consider the first motion of the day, relating to public transport, as printed on the Order Paper. To move the motion, I call from the North East of England, Mr Callum Crozier.

6 7 Public Transport HOUSE OF COMMONS Public Transport 8 Public Transport am Callum Crozier (North East): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I want to speak in favour of this motion: We need to improve the pricing structure, cleanliness, frequency, reliability and treatment of young people on public transport, including those in rural areas. Public transport is a fundamental part of the lives of young people. I have a younger cousin who lives in a rural area, and I look with dismay on the idea that he and many other young people face a daily struggle to get to work, school and doctors appointments. Despite our work over the past year, public transport is still not up to scratch, which is why young people across the United Kingdom voted it their absolute priority here today. The very idea that we send our young people in rural areas trudging through the snow to get to school because they have no alternative is outrageous. More than one in five students has considered dropping out of further education because of financial difficulties. I do not blame them. In the eyes of some public transport companies, we are required to pay full adult fares at the age of 16 or even 14, despite being legally a child, and despite being in full-time education and earning next to no income at all. Students are encouraged to achieve their potential but struggle to afford to get to school or college. Almost 50% of 16 to 18-year-olds say they struggle to meet their transport costs. Let us put that into context: approximately 6 million UK citizens equating to the population of Paraguay are refused the right to fulfil their academic potential. Cost is not the only factor on the burden-bearing shoulders of young people. Accessibility must also be improved. An overwhelming 77% of young people in a rural area of Northumberland claim that public transport is both infrequent and unreliable. The Government claim that Britain can deliver and they are right, but is this really the type of public transport we want for the youth of today hindering our punctuality and diminishing our opportunities? No, no, no. It is not just about convenience for young people or about public transport itself; it is about young people being late for work, school and doctors appointments. The consequence? Costing jobs, costing grades and costing the NHS. We must ask ourselves whether we really want to become a catastrophic hindrance to our employers, and whether we want to distract our teachers and obstruct our health service. No, no, no. The opposition argument is likely to discredit our efforts by claiming that the campaign is not national but merely serves to focus divided regions. But over the past year we have seen great progress, with the Youth Select Committee leading the way. Yet, just as the UK deficit will not be balanced in one Government term, so too public transport issues will not be solved in one year. With public transport continuing to be our national priority for the year ahead, we can provide greater prospects for the likes of my young cousin back in Northumberland. We can deliver more reliable transport to get students from point A to point B. We can build a better, brighter future for young people. When the opposition argue that it is not a national campaign, I tell you this: divided we are weak, but united as a nation we are strong. One nation, one notion, one campaign: better public transport. Mr Speaker: Callum, thank you very much indeed. I note that we have now been joined by Nick Brown, the former Government Chief Whip, when the Labour party was in office. He is the Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne East. Nick, it is great to have you here. Thank you for coming. To oppose the motion, I call from the east of England, Miss Ailish Brown. Miss Ailish Brown (East of England): Thank you, Mr Speaker. We are all here for one reason: to maintain and empower the young people we so proudly represent. But by voting as the UK Youth Parliament campaign for the next year to make public transport, cheaper, better and accessible for all, we are not giving the young people we represent the justice they deserve. This topic has been our campaign for the last year. We have not achieved the goal of making transport cheaper, better and accessible for all, so this year let us create a goal that is more accessible and realistic one that we can achieve in a year alone, instead of continuously voting for public transport to be our campaign year after year. We are here to make change, and not just to debate and vote for an unreachable campaign. The UK Youth Parliament wants to protect our youth services and facilities, and continuously begs local governments and local councils to keep such facilities, so that we can all be here, at the House of Commons, today. By asking for cheaper transport as well as the safety of our youth services, we are putting our own youth workers and services at risk. We must focus on one campaign and not bombard the Government with everything that we want to change. Moreover, transport is a regional issue and not a national scheme. The north-east s system of transport is very different from that of London, which already has great discounts for young people on both trains and buses. All MYPs from London would therefore agree that this campaign would not be relevant for them. Such an example highlights just how hard and complicated the work of the campaign would be. Furthermore, there is a national rail card available for those who are aged between 16 and 25. It can be purchased for just 28 and it gives you a third off all train fares. We should take full advantage of such a fantastic scheme and promote it, instead of spending another year on this unrealistic campaign. Finally, we already have an adequate public transport service. Of course there will be problems with it; we are all human after all. Let us stop complaining and vote for other campaigns, which are more vital, valuable and realistic for this year, such as a review of a curriculum to prepare us for life. We do not need transport as our main campaign. If you are unhappy about a local issue then go and do something about it. Make a change locally so that nationally, we can focus on another more effective campaign. I plead with you all today not to vote for another year-long campaign by the UK Youth Parliament to make public transport cheaper, better and accessible for

7 9 Public Transport 23 NOVEMBER 2012 Public Transport 10 all. Think: do you want an effective curriculum to prepare us for life that teaches us about politics, sex and relationships and finance, which can all be achieved in a year, or do you want to drag out the public transport campaign for at least another year? It is your decision. Mr Speaker: Ailish, thank you very much indeed. Callum and Ailish. We have had two great speeches to get us off to a cracking start. I am now looking for contributions from the Floor. Lizzie Callinan (Yorkshire and Humber): As we are all aware, public transport is a big issue for young people, which is why it is on the agenda again for this year s debate. I am from north Yorkshire where we ran the pioneering ride around for a 1 scheme this summer, which allowed young people to travel around on the buses for 1 for a whole day. Although the scheme was a great achievement, it was only run countywide by the north Yorkshire youth council, which meant that we came across many barriers. For a start, not all the bus companies would sign up for the scheme, and when they did, it was often on their own terms. Additionally, it was hard for us to promote it as it was a youth council scheme and we did not give it the justice that it deserved. Like last year, we can stand here and say that this is the most important campaign, but unless the Government listen to us and make cheaper transport for young people a national policy, nothing will really change. Mr Speaker: I am now looking for a speaker from the South West. We will take the gentleman from the back Welcome, sir. Sam Foulder-Hughes (South West): I have been an MYP for two years now, and I can tell you that the biggest issue for people in my constituency is transport. My constituents have to pay 600 for a county bus pass if they want to go to college, and of course next year, nationally, going to college or staying in education will be compulsory. So of course it is a national issue to make sure that people are not paying to stay in education. This is a national campaign. Let s stand united. Let s stand against the transport companies. Let s make sure that young people have cheaper and more accessible transport, because I can tell you: there are a lot of people in this room who really need it. Mr Speaker: Thank you. Have we got somebody from the West Midlands? Jaawad Ashraf (West Midlands): Public transport is a very important issue on young people s agenda. In my area and in my constituency, a lot of young people illegally use public transport, forging bus tickets, forging train tickets. What is the reason? The reason is that young people cannot afford bus fares and cannot afford train fares. If they want to look for a job, they have to catch a train, they have to catch a bus. Where are they going to get the money from? As the MYP from East of England said, maybe last year was a failure. However, we are the Youth Parliament, and what do we do? Do we walk away from something? No we don t. We stand up and we work harder. Transport prices are ridiculously high in Birmingham, and something needs to be done about it. Mr Speaker: Thank you very much indeed. I am looking for a speaker from London. Mundia Fundi (London): In London, we do have great transport, and although sometimes it may be filthy or the cleanliness is not up to standard, we do have a great system. You can get a free travelcard from 16 and when you are younger as well. I agree that transport is a big issue, but right now the economy does not have enough money to fund all those things. We need to focus on the priorities. We need to focus on education. As you guys have seen, last year was not too good for results and the education system definitely needs to be looked at. I think public transport would be a long-term goal; however, right now the economy is just not ready for it. We need to focus on other issues, such as the NHS and the education system. Mr Speaker: Great. I am now looking for a speaker from Wales. Jessica Peters (Wales): As Miss Ailish Brown said before me, this has been the motion for the past year; why drag it out? There are so many more large priorities within the UK that we could focus on. For example, this week is anti-bullying week. Do you know what stops young people from getting on transport? Bullying. So why not focus on something like that? I know it is not one of the debates for this year, but it was last year. Also, it seems as if we are only helping the people who already have a bit of money to get on to public transport. What about those young people who are homeless, or in other desperate circumstances? It just seems as if the rich are getting richer whilst the poor are getting poorer. Why can we not help everybody who is vulnerable before we try to help those who can already access other things? Mr Speaker: Thank you for that. Have we got people from Northern Ireland? John Cameron (Northern Ireland): I would like to support Ailish in opposing the motion. Transport is a regional issue. In Northern Ireland, we have a ylink card, which was developed through the Northern Ireland Youth Forum, the Translink Youth Forum and the UK Youth Parliament. All the organisations came together, met with Translink and developed a discount card, which is in place at the minute and working very successfully. We have to remember that we are the UK Youth Parliament. We must represent those young people. We must represent as many young people as possible. We must make sure that they receive the education they need and acquire the life skills needed to go out into the world. They need the skills and ability to find a job, and must then worry about getting work. If we give them the right life skills, they will then be able to worry about public transport. Mr Speaker: These are great speeches. They are succinct and punchy, so congratulations. It is going really well. Is there someone from the north-west? Owolabi Oderinde (North West): I have come here from Wigan, where going from point A to point B is a big issue, and transport is not safe for young people.

8 11 Public Transport HOUSE OF COMMONS Public Transport 12 What is the point of giving free education to young people when they cannot get there? We have started, and we must finish, using all the power we have. If continue what we are doing, we will get something out of it. Mr Speaker: Is there someone from the South East? Benjamin Farns (South East) Thank you, Mr Speaker. I represent the constituency of Basingstoke, Eastleigh and Winchester. Public transport issues will not go away unless decisive action is taken. Time and again, young people in my constituency tell me how expensive public transport is. It may be because their college bursary does not go far enough, or perhaps they are expected to pay a full adult fare before they are 18. Young people in my area tell me that they are feeling the effects of rural isolation because services have been lost. Disabled young people tell me that public transport is totally inaccessible. That must stop. I am pleased with what the Youth Parliament has achieved this year. Nationally, the Youth Select Committee has been a shining example of what can happen when young people get together to work on a particular issue. I am grateful to the Departments for Education, and for Transport for their support for the process, as well many different transport providers and charities that have also shown support. Transport is one of those problems that can be worked on locally and nationally. On a local level, I am pleased to have worked with Hampshire county council, as well as local transport providers to try to create a new youth board, which I hope will increase dialogue between young people and transport bodies. We are nearly there in achieving national success, and I urge everyone not to lose faith with this national campaign. Last week, I spoke at the northern bus summit, which included all the major bus providers across the UK. I presented some of the recommendations from the Youth Select Committee. One was to ensure that no young person should be expected to pay a full adult fare. There is widespread support for a national concessionary fare scheme on buses, such as the railcard. Again, we need a co-ordinated, dynamic approach, and that is why the Youth Parliament must stand together today, vote to keep public transport as a national campaign, and make sure that we achieve success. We are nearly there. Mr Speaker: I am looking for a speaker from the East Midlands. Hajat Shakeel (East Midlands): I am from Chesterfield. The UKYP is still in its early days, but already it seems that transport will be a lingering issue. In my constituency, more than 6% of young people voted for transport as their primary concern. I am willing to gamble that that is the same for most of us. In my area, I have had complaints from young people who must pay 3 for bus fares to and from school. Assuming they take 10 days off school, that is 663 per school year just to take a bus to my school. I am sure everyone agrees that that is exorbitant. The young people I spoke to have no alternative for getting to school, other than the bus, and for some the price is even higher. Those young people and their parents are paying a tax for education. What sort of country do we live in that requires us to pay to go to school? No one should have to pay to go to school, especially when the money lines the pockets of the bus companies. I heard many other complaints about public transport, such as appalling accessibility and treatment of the disabled. It all points to a radical overhaul of public transport in our country. It is desperately needed and clearly in the best interests of the young people we represent. To ignore it would be unjust to the people who brought us all here. Let s make this year the year we change transport for good. Let this be the last year this issue comes up. Mr Speaker: Every year I strive to get a good gender balance, and this year is no exception, so at the moment I am looking for some female speakers, particularly from London. Ladan Dirie (London): The Member who spoke to oppose the motion claimed that London has excellent public transport. As a London MYP from Harrow, I can tell you that transport was voted as the top issue. Transport in London is too expensive, it is not accessible to all young people and there are major issues. Although we all have regional issues, nationally we identified that every single region has issues with transport. Young people voted it as one of their top five issues, and we need to listen to young people, considering we represent them. Mr Speaker: I think that we have one participant from Scotland; we will hear from him. Laurie Donaldson (Scotland): I do not think that bus concessions have a great effect in Scotland. Even though a high percentage of people in Scotland live in rural areas, Edinburgh was voted as having the second best bus system in Europe. In this case, because a high percentage of children live in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen, I do not think that means we are representing the people well enough. I think that different things should be done, such as increasing the minimum wage to the living wage, because that would affect every single young person s employment. Thank you. Mr Speaker: How about hearing from a young woman from the South East? Mems Ayinla (South East): Transport, as every young person who has spoken today has said, is important. All of us those who have come from Scotland, Northern Ireland, the west of England and elsewhere have come here on transport. I feel that this is going to be a lingering issue. In Medway, we have tried again and again to make transport cheaper, but we have made issues different, because we know that this is down to other people. As young people, we have to make this a national issue, not just something will we have to debate year after year. This is a year of change 2013 is coming. We cannot have the same issue every year. It will not be fair on everyone. So I am begging you: please, let s try something different.

9 13 Public Transport 23 NOVEMBER 2012 Public Transport 14 Mr Speaker: How about hearing from a female speaker from the North West. Ebony James (North West): Whatever we do, it won t be good enough, and trying to fix something that is different in so many places is difficult, especially when there are more important things to focus on. Mr Speaker: Time is slightly against us, so I must now call Mr Matthew Wilson from the North East to conclude the debate. Mr Matthew Wilson (North East): Transport has become a necessity in young people s lives in Britain. We use it to go and get educated, to get health care and to get employment. But in recent years, transport has fallen backwards, prices have rocketed and reliability has made young people s lives more difficult. Today we have heard that cost is the biggest issue for young people. Statistics show that half of 16 to 18-year olds feel that transport fares are too high. To put that in context, that is like more than double the population of Luxembourg complaining that their transport fares are too high. The speaker for the motion has highlighted another problem: at what age someone pays an adult fare. As you all are probably aware, 16 is the age. In some places 14 is the age. I am sorry, but if you think a 14-year-old is an adult you need to take a good hard look at yourself in the mirror. I agree with the Youth Select Committee in saying that the age should be 18, because that is when someone becomes an adult. However, given the other campaigns that many in this Chamber support, such as wanting to be an adult by voting at 16, would it not be fair to pay adult prices as well? This is not some rights and responsibilities pick and mix. The first speaker highlighted our ability to use our collective voice to continue the campaign on price, accessibility and reliability. However, we have also heard from the speaker against the motion about how transport is managed regionally, and not nationally, meaning that a national campaign would be confusing and disjointed. The north-east of England has a completely different system from, let us say, Northern Ireland. The for speaker said that divided as regions we are weak and united as a nation we are strong. Well, I tell you this: we cannot be united if we are all fighting different systems. Is this campaign worth it? This was last year s campaign. Did we do much? Regionally people achieved so much: I say leave it as a regional campaign and this year focus on a campaign that will have more impact nationally. Can we be united to bring more equality to gay couples, to bring more opportunities in education and employment? Those are questions only you can answer, but remember this: when we are here this time next year let us not say This region achieved that : let us say we achieved it together. That, my friends, is what real achievement is, and that is what the Youth Parliament is all about. Mr Speaker: Matthew, thank you for addressing us with such passion and forthrightness. You remind me of me when I was a few years older than you are. You have spoken with great distinction, as has everybody in this debate, and I say from the bottom of my heart, as well as my head, that it is very much respected and appreciated. We have now been joined by the Deputy Leader of the House, Tom Brake, the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Carshalton and Wallington. Tom, welcome and thank you for joining us. We now move to the second debate for the Youth Parliament. To move the motion I call Mr Ryan Davies.

10 15 Getting Ready for Work HOUSE OF COMMONS Getting Ready for Work 16 Getting Ready for Work am Ryan Davies (Wales): Diolch yn fawr; thank you Mr Speaker. I want to speak in favour of this motion: The rate of youth unemployment is too high and young people need better education, skills development, apprenticeships and mentoring schemes to help equip them with the right tools to enter the employment market. Every school pupil should have the opportunity to participate in work experience, in an external working environment, for a minimum of one week in a field of their choice, as well as access to opportunities linking them to professionals to help inspire them to learn about different career choices. Imagine a world where only a minority of young people get jobs; where doing a degree is just a few years wasted. Imagine what it would be like if there were millions on benefits and there was nothing that we could do about it. Some of you think we are already on that road and that there is a need for us to take action now. Why go to school, and then higher education for several years, to be unable to get a job? Why end up 60,000 in debt? All of us in the UK Youth Parliament have the power to make change happen, and I believe that this issue needs to be chosen as our national campaign, to benefit young people not only today but tomorrow. Recent figures show that youth unemployment has dropped by 62,000 from 1.2 million, but that shows that youth unemployment it still disappointingly high, and, despite current efforts young people need better education and skills development. The media say that we may become the forgotten generation, and sadly that rings true. There are three issues that I should like to bring to your attention. First, a recent study found that there was an attitude gap: young people were not given honest and reliable advice on the jobs to which they could realistically aspire. Career support must be improved for young people s progress. It is about self-esteem a job gives you a footing in life, and as a Youth Parliament we will strive to give every young person an opportunity to contribute fully to society. Work experience introduces young people to the world of work. It is valuable and essential to their education. There is no statutory obligation for schools or local authorities to provide it, so opportunities vary greatly. In my constituency of Llanelli in south Wales, almost everyone goes on a week s work experience, and finds it extremely beneficial. Work experience is a vibrant opportunity, and there are real, tangible benefits. Together, we can campaign for the rationalisation of opportunities for effective, valuable and high-quality work experience for everyone. We must then ask, what about those people who have left secondary education? It is good that the number of apprenticeships has risen, but despite an overall rise in apprenticeship starts, people over 25 account for 75% of the increase. We must provide stable apprenticeships for people of all ages, including the young people who are the skilled workers of tomorrow. We can work with the Government to create sustainable apprenticeships for young people. Finally, Members of the Youth Parliament, we need to choose the issue of getting ready for work. Let us strive for improved support in schools. Let us strive for the improvement of work experience, and let us strive for sustainable apprenticeships. Members of the Government have a job they are already employed but without our scrutiny, assistance and support, our generation and our children s generation will not be able to get a job and they will not be able to get the place in society that they deserve. I implore you, vote for this issue: we need to get ready for work. Mr Speaker: Ryan, thank you very much indeed for an excellent start to the debate. To oppose the motion, I call, from London, Mr David Hall. David Hall (London): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Youth unemployment is at its highest for a generation, but so is the help available to 16 to 24-year-olds. I am 17 and, yes, it is important for me to think about getting ready for work, but what about the 11,12 and 13-year-olds whom we represent? Do they share that concern? How relevant would it be to them if the motion became the UK Youth Parliament campaign? The number of young people without a job rose by just 0.5% between last year and this, but the number of apprenticeships started in the same period was nearly 500,000. Getting ready for work does not need to be the UK Youth Parliament campaign. Inspiring the Future is an example of a new, free scheme in which employees across the UK go into secondary schools to talk about their job and career, and the education route that they took. A third of schools around Britain have signed up to the scheme, and there are more to follow. Getting ready for work should not be the UK Youth Parliament campaign. Yes, there is high youth unemployment, which is very worrying, but that is why there is 1 billion of funding, 160,000 employers working with Jobcentre Plus, and 250,000 new work experience placements the result of the Youth Contract set up by the Government. It is not just the Government who are trying to tackle the problem. A team of entrepreneurs such as Lord You re fired Sugar, university lecturers and trade unionists has been established by the Opposition to tackle youth unemployment in Middlesbrough, Liverpool, Nottingham and the seven other areas in Britain with the highest levels of youth unemployment. Getting ready for work should not be the UK Youth Parliament campaign. Youth unemployment is clearly a significant concern for young people, otherwise we would not be debating it. However, there are issues that we as Members of the Youth Parliament can more relevantly and effectively campaign on. What use are more jobs if we do not learn essential life skills while we are in education? How will young people be able to access the increased number of jobs if public transport does not get us where we need to be when we need to be there? The value of having a job becomes virtually worthless if we are discriminated against and there is not an equal minimum national wage for everyone. This campaign does not recognise the young people we all represent, who are rightly more concerned about getting to school on time than about whether they will be getting a job in five, six or seven years from now. With the education leaving age being raised to 18, there will be more and more young people who will be, frankly, ignored if we make this our campaign. With the extra 1 billion of funding, getting ready for work does not need to be the UK Youth Parliament campaign; with the 160,000 employers working with

11 17 Getting Ready for Work 23 NOVEMBER 2012 Getting Ready for Work 18 Jobcentre Plus, it should not be the UK Youth Parliament campaign; and with the 250,000 new work experience placements, it simply cannot be the UK Youth Parliament campaign. Mr Speaker: Thank you very much indeed. I now call a female speaker from the West Midlands. Hannah Scragg (West Midlands): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am from Wolverhampton in the West Midlands. The fact that 1 million young people are currently unemployed across the country is not the fault of young people, but a reflection of the economic climate. All too often, we are blamed for not getting jobs. However, I can assure you that not enough is being done. We all go to school or college and get qualifications, but that is not enough nowadays. We need work experience and help with writing our CV. We need professionals coming into schools and colleges and giving us practical advice, as well as help with interview techniques. Most importantly, we need jobs to apply those skills. Mr Speaker: Do we have a speaker from Northern Ireland or the South East of England? Bethany Scott (South East): Thank you. I represent Chichester and West Arun, in the West Sussex area. My school often promises to make the transition from school to college a smooth and less daunting prospect. However, this year, along with many other schools, we have stopped our work experience week. Having been taught all my life that the best way to succeed is to prepare, I do not think that society and school curriculums give students the best possible chance of preparing for work. I understand that the Government have taken work experience out of the curriculum for 15 to 16-year-olds and recommended it for 17 to 18-year-olds, because the age for remaining in education has been raised, but under-16s can still get jobs, even if they are part time, so work placements would still be very important and maturing for those age groups. My mum works for Jobcentre Plus, and her perception of the reason that most unemployed young people are unemployed is that they lack the fundamental work skills even to be engaged in their first opportunity. It is all very well to be told about life outside school, but to have an actual experience is much more important. How can we feel comfortable, confident or inspired to go out and work for our country when we do not initially get the necessary practical support? Mr Speaker: Do we have a speaker from Yorkshire and Humberside? Evie Snee (Yorkshire and Humber): I am from Hull. In my region, the biggest problem is unemployment. The education that we have focuses on the basic skills, not on getting ready for work. I believe that we should improve the quality of the services and education offered to young people to ensure that the opportunity they have to get a job is the best opportunity we can offer them. Mr Speaker: Who do we have from the South West of England? Claudia Marshall (South West): Youth unemployment is not going to get better if young people, especially the ones who have hit rock-bottom and have a massive dent in their self-confidence, are not made aware of the correct, most beneficial skills and apply them to a real working life, so that they are not just tokenised within school and college. Mr Speaker: People are waving at me, which is very friendly. Do we have a speaker from the north-west? Steven Atkins (North West): Work experience motivates young people to gain good qualifications. It inspires us towards our future career choices, developing our employability skills in the process, and it prepares us for the world of work. A report by the charity, Education and Employment Taskforce, found that young people who take part in work experience are 40% less likely to go on to be unemployed. A different report chaired by David Miliband said that too many young people do not get high-quality work experience. The CBI has argued that it is hard to overstate the potential importance of work experience. Research by Demos suggests that when work experience is of good quality, it is the most disadvantaged who benefit the most. Current work experience placements, however, are often too short and of poor quality, with young people being given little to do and their placement being poorly linked to their wider education or the advice and guidance they receive and that is if they have work experience at all. It is getting harder and harder for young people to find the support they need. It is now up to us to be the voice for the voiceless and to offer great hope for the hopeless. Our choosing this statement as our national campaign will be the first brick in the road of many young people s lives to prosperity. Mr Speaker: I am looking for someone from the North East Abbi Dodds (North East): I come from an area where many young people do not go on to further education, as they think going on to get a job will be a better option for them. At such a young age, however, they do not have skills that are transferable into work. We are taught in education that learning is a preparation for a job at the end, but if young people do not have the skills to put that education into practice, what good will it be? We are told we need experience for a job, but we cannot get a job because we have no experience. I think this problem should be put at the top of our list, as it is so important. Everyone here, I am sure, knows someone who has been affected by this problem, so I believe it should be our campaign for next year. Mr Speaker: This young gentleman has been standing up for a while. We look forward to hearing from him. Alex Jenner (West Midlands): The MYP for London said that 11, 12 and 13-year-olds do not need to worry about work experience. I am 12, and my friends and