Conservative-Lib Dem coalition agreement: children and young people

[Alison J Stevens]

Conservative-Lib Dem coalition agreement: children and young people

The Conservative and Liberal Democrat Parties have reached agreement on a preliminary range of issues. Deficit reduction remains the most urgent issue and the parties have confirmed
that this would be effected more by reduced spending than by increased
taxes, including cuts of £6 billion to non-front line services within the current financial year. There will be a full spending review this autumn.

Specific issues relating to children and young people include:

• promoting the reform of schools in order to ensure that new providers can enter the state school system in response to parental demand; that all schools have greater freedom over curriculum; and that
  all schools are held properly accountable
• a “significant premium” for disadvantaged pupils from outside the schools budget funded by reductions in spending elsewhere
• scrapping the Contact Point Database
• outlawing the finger-printing of children at school without parental permission
• ending the detention of children for immigration purposes
• reductions to the Child Trust Fund
• referring Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants aged under 25 to a new welfare to work programme after a maximum of six months
• higher education proposals will await Lord Browne’s final report into funding.

This agreement will be followed in due course by a final “coalition agreement” providing more detail and covering additional areas – so watch this space.

CSN Round-Up 18 – May 2010 28/05/2010 CSN Round-Up is a regular digest of policy and guidance announcements, legislation, consultations, research and publications that are not otherwise covered by our more substantial policy briefings. Queen’s Speech 2010 – Children’s services 25/05/2010 This briefing outlines those provisions within the Queen’s Speech, containing proposals for legislation in the next Parliamentary year, relating to children’s services. Coalition programme for government - children's services 20/05/2010 The final Coalition Agreement, covering the full range of policy proposals for a five year programme of partnership government, has now been published. This briefing outlines and comments on those relating to children’s services. Information, Advice and Guidance services for young people: Directi... 14/05/2010 The purpose of this consultation is to seek the views of local authorities (LAs) covering all aspects of delivering Information, Advice and Guidances Services (IAG) to support young people to remain engaged in employment or training. Family and friends care – consultation on draft statutory guidance 13/05/2010 Draft statutory guidance on family and friends care has been issued for consultation, designed to promote consistent practice, ensure that such carers have access to the support they need, and reduce the need for children to enter the care system.

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