Westminster Life: An even better place for young people

Our city is a great place to live and raise a family, but there are things we can do to make it an even better place for our children and young people to grow and thrive.

This can start with something as simple getting the bus.

The Tiger Pass gives £1 bus travel to those aged under 25, and more than 32,000 of these passes are being used across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire. Being able to get to school or college, to meet up with friends or see family, is such a vital part of any young person’s life, and this Pass makes that more accessible and affordable.

If you’re under 25 I’d urge you to sign up for the Tiger Pass and benefit.

The Government is investing in affordable transport, which is why Peterborough and Cambridgeshire have also received £10 million to improve bus services in the region.

But improving the lives of young people starts even earlier, including when they’re at primary school. This Government believes that no child should start the day hungry, which is why last week we announced plans to roll out free breakfast clubs in primary schools.

With nearly half of children in Peterborough growing up in poverty, this is about making a difference. Right now, schools can apply to become one of the first to offer a new, government-backed free breakfast club. Children will start the day with full bellies, and parents will have access to 30 minutes of free childcare at the start of every school day.

I hope Peterborough can be one of the trailblazers for breakfast clubs, which will formally launch in April next year. I will be writing to all primary schools with more details.

This is one of the defining missions of our Government – breaking down barriers.

A huge barrier we’re facing is unemployment, especially amongst our young people.

One in eight young people are neither working nor learning, and 2.8 million people are struggling to work due to long term sickness.

Peterborough, sadly, is a youth unemployment hotspot. This needs to change.

I believe apprenticeships and job opportunities are crucial to tackling the issue of youth unemployment. I’m a huge apprenticeships champion, and when I entered Parliament I was elected Co-Chair of the All Party Group on Apprenticeships.

Just last week the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall MP, visited Peterborough College to meet some of our great businesses and their apprentices.

The Government’s Get Britain Working Again plans will see Peterborough – as part of the Mayoral Authority’s Youth Trailblazer Scheme - implement a Youth Guarantee that will make sure all 18-21 years olds are earning or learning. Investing in the next generation is the key to improving Peterborough and improving the country. This Government will do that, and I will advocate for our city the whole way.