Youth MPs to discuss tertiary education

120 young people will gather in Parliament next Sunday evening for the start of the 1997 Youth Parliament.

A packed programme faces the Youth MPs who will be taking over the seats of the "real MPs" for two days.

As well as the opportunity of seeing how Parliament works, meeting MPs, questioning Ministers, general debate and Select Committees, the Youth MPs will hold a debate on a Bill to amend the 1989 Education Act.

The Bill, if it were to be passed in the real Parliament, would amend the law relating to student allowances, ensuring parity between the minimum rate of student allowance and the corresponding unemployment benefit.

The intention of the Bill is to remove any incentive for young people to go on the unemployment benefit rather than receiving tertiary education, and will relate the value of the student allowance to the unemployment benefit.

The Bill was chosen after all the Youth MPs were consulted about the topic for debate. Tertiary education was the most popular choice.

The Youth Parliament is one way of increasing and promoting youth participation. The young people will have the opportunity to discuss a topic of their choice, and perhaps really make a difference to the way that government works.