Report by Northumbria PCC ‘is misleading’

The councillor with responsibility for youth services in Northumberland has hit back at a report by the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner that said youth services have been hardest hit in the county.
Cllr Guy Renner-Thompson.Cllr Guy Renner-Thompson.
Cllr Guy Renner-Thompson.

The research, conducted as part of Kim McGuinness’ preventing crime strategy, stated that there has been a 75% fall in local authority spending on youth services in Northumbria since 2011 – with Northumberland suffering the greatest financial blows.

Cllr Guy Renner-Thompson, the county council’s cabinet member for children and young people, has now said the following in response: “If the Police and Crime Commissioner checks the figures in her own report, she will see that we spent more than £2.1million on services for young people in 2019/20.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“This is £1.8million more than Gateshead, £600,000 more than North Tyneside and £500,000 more than Newcastle.

“The conclusion that the Police and Crime Commissioner has drawn completely overlooks these figures and instead is reliant on a survey with an extremely small sample that is not statistically significant.

“We work extremely hard to maintain our youth services through direct funding and also by supporting organisations to access other sources, including funding that councillors can allocate. We also maximise the funding from Government for holiday activities for young people.

“Misleading reports such as these simply cause unnecessary alarm and we will continue to do all that we can to support our young people across the county, whether that be in a traditional youth club setting or through other ways given the digital world we now live in.”