4. Will the First Minister set out the Welsh Government's strategy for youth services? OAQ53504

Thank you. Since 2013, the Welsh Government has provided local authorities with £25 million a year to support local bus and community transport services across Wales, including south-east Wales. Towards—. Sorry, I'm on the wrong question. I do apologise, Presiding Officer. 

No one noticed.

I know. [Laughter.] I apologise.

We recognise the vital role youth services play in supporting young people. An interim youth work board has been appointed to develop a new youth work strategy to improve these services. In supporting this, the youth support grant will increase by 188 per cent in 2019-20, particularly to support youth homelessness and mental health.

Thank you very much for that response, Minister. I think youth services are rightly greatly valued by the general public, obviously by young people themselves, and by a range of organisations, including the police, because they do provide so many different activities and opportunities for young people because of the social aspects, because of the range of encouragement and advice that's available—very important encouragement and advice. We all know that local authorities are under great pressure in terms of the funding available to them, Minister, and there have been a range of cuts to youth services, so I just want to very much welcome the new funding that's been announced for 2019-20 from Welsh Government and to ask you whether you could give us some idea of how that funding will be used to ensure quality and availability of youth services right across Wales.

As I said, it's a 188 per cent increase in the funding for next year. I'm sure the Member's aware of the snapshot inquiry that was undertaken by the Children, Young People and Education Committee under the chairmanship of Lynne Neagle, and that report came forward with many recommendations that Welsh Government have taken on board. I mentioned the interim youth work board that has been set up, that was appointed back in October 2018 and it's already met five times. I understand it's in discussions with Lynne Neagle to make sure that the recommendations brought forward from her committee are brought to fruition. The board's remit included the development of a new youth work strategy for Wales, so that will be right across Wales. It's going to recommend a new sustainable model for youth work and certainly we'll be working with all our partners. 

Not all youth service funding comes through the local authority route. In 2016, the children's commissioner recommended that the Welsh Government ensures that health-related advocacy for under-18-year-olds is available and accessible to all those who need it. However, in her quarterly update published in January this year, she noted that she is not aware of any changes to provision of advocacy in health settings for under-18s, nor has the patient information been updated, with services remaining ad hoc. It's March 2019 now, that's three years since the commissioner made her recommendations, I understand that her officials met with Welsh Government officials in December, so I wonder if you can help us understand what speedy action will now be taken in this regard, bearing in mind that meeting has taken place. Thank you.

The Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services will have heard that, and I'll ask her to write to you.