Youth Service

10.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 9th Oct 2003

A Community Services Task group has been set up to examine the work and development of Connexions. It is worrying that 40% of Surrey's resources for young people are already committed by the Tory administration to Connexions, yet another quango, and they are aiming for 80%. To make matters worse, we still do not know details of requirements for Connexions Centres, i.e. what is a Connexions Centre and how should it be planned? Also many operational issues are unresolved.

The Task Group hopes to report on these weaknesses. There is some good news, however. Staff recruitment is improving slowly and some interesting new projects are being developed, not only on social issues such as sex and drugs but also on photography, music, canoeing and other hobbies. We must help these projects to expand, but sorting out the Youth Service and its relationship with Connexions is a high priority before they control 80% of our youth budget.