Somewhere to go? Something to do?

 Young People’s Summary

 

What is a Green Paper?

 

This is a report saying how the Government intends to change the law about a particular subject. The contents of a Green Paper are debated and discussed before a final decision is taken.

 

 

What is it all about?

The Government have identified that:

“The choices you make now – and that includes what you choose to do in your spare time – will affect what happens later in your life. Are there things you want to do where you live but can’t? And do you know where to go for information and advice about making decisions in your life?”

They also want to:

“improve local opportunities to help you make the most of your teenage years. We have lots of ideas about how to improve things, but we need to know what you think. Do you agree with our suggestions? Are there things we haven’t thought about?”

How does the Government plan to do this?

By identifying that they:

“want you to have more positive things to do and better places to go in your spare time. We think you want to be involved in deciding what’s available and how it’s run. If we gave your council some money to improve things for young people in your area, we think you would like to decide how that money is spent”.

In addition they are also:

“thinking of helping your local council to develop a card that entitles you to discounts, works as proof of age, and can be topped up by you or your parents with money to spend on sports and other activities. If you’re 13–16 and your parents don’t earn much, the Government is also thinking about topping up your card. We think that young people who abuse opportunities or commit crimes should not be given these top-ups.”

        The government would also like:

“you to get involved in your local community, for example by doing voluntary work. We think young people who help out like this should be recognised and rewarded.

We want you to be able to get all the information, advice and guidance you need to make choices in your life, from leading a healthier life to making learning and careers decisions. We think you want this provided in a number of different ways, including through your school, on websites, by email and by text messaging”

What happens next?

 

You can complete a questionnaire, which can be found at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/youth/