Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Department for Communities and Local Government

Our ref: ML/connexions/ID/9.8.10
Date: 9 August 2010

Dear Eric,

I am writing with reference to the cuts being made to Brighton and Hove Connexions Service, which in common with Connexions services across the country, provides valuable careers support and guidance to young people.

As a result of the Government reducing the Area based grant which includes funding for the Brighton and Hove Connexions Service, Brighton and Hove City council have already announced redundancies for the Intensive Personal Advisors.

The local authority has also issued a termination notice on the contract, with Prospects Services Ltd., which employs the Careers experts, Information, Advice and Guidance Personal Advisors, with the prospect of eventual redundancy.

All of this means a substantial reduction of the frontline service or even the cessation of the service.

Yet a press release announcing the cuts issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government claims:

"Ministers have given careful consideration to how savings can be found without affecting the quality of key frontline services. The priority has been on driving out Whitehall waste with the brunt of the cuts being borne at the centre."

Careers advice for young people is important at any time and I fail to see how it can be classed as waste.

When we are in the midst of an economic crisis such advice becomes critical, otherwise we run the very real risk that a whole generation of young people fail to get the necessary help and training to access the jobs market.

The government has argued time and again that important front line services will not be affected as a result of public service cuts and it has to take some responsibility for the decisions local authorities are having to make in the face of massively reduced budgets - to pass the buck is an indication of poor leadership.

Connexions offers a universal and impartial careers guidance service to young people by fully qualified and experienced professionals.

It also offers individual intensive support to those young people experiencing barriers to the achievement of their potential.

In Brighton and Hove, Connexions have worked extensively and successfully in reducing the number of young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).

These tend to include some of the most vulnerable young people in our city and intensive Connexions support has directly contributed to them accessing substance misuse programmes, teenage pregnancy and sexual health programmes and stopping offending.

I would, therefore, urge you to reconsider the cuts being made to the Area based grant and work with local authorities like the one in Brighton and Hove to protect Connexions and other vital public services.

Moreover, I am not aware of any consultation being carried out with young users of Connexions, parents, training and education providers or employers about the plans to run down the service, so would also call on you to use your influence to at least ensure people are given a say in the future of their careers service.

I look forward to your response.

Best wishes,

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Lucas, MP, Brighton Pavilion

Read the Department of Education's reply