Last Thursday, Lloyd Russell-Moyle asked a very significant written question even though it is only requiring a few words. It was sent to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Department and sadly the answer was very poor quality. The Minister responsible for the DCMS is Nadine Dorries and it is clear that she has some very strange calls such as wanting to sell Channel 4 into the public sector. However she has a tendency to avoid discussions about Channel 4 and indeed the response to the question from Lloyd was very inadequate that was provided by Nigel Huddleston who works in the Nadine Dorries department. Here is the question and answer and also the reference. Sadly they do not respond to the question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will publish minimum standards for youth provision and services.

The initial answer is

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23/05/22 to Question 4615.

Which takes us to this question from Rachael Maskell and the answer from Nigel Huddleston

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of establishing a statutory youth service.

As set out in section 507B of the Education Act 1996, Local Authorities have a statutory duty to “secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people”. Local authorities are required by section 507B(12) to have regard to the statutory guidance when exercising the functions in relation to the statutory duty. DCMS is committed to completing the review of the Local Authority Statutory Duty for Youth Services, previously paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

So we now need Nadine Dorries to answer the question that Lloyd has asked.