A Commons Library Briefing Paper has been published which considered the National Citizen Service Bill which completed its remaining Parliamentary stages.
Concerns previously raised about the Employment of Women, Young Persons, and Children Act 1920 preventing young people volunteering in ‘industries’ such as heritage railways or for the canals and waterways trust have now been addressed in relation to the NCS as reported in Update 340.
A report by the Public Accounts Committee report says that radical thinking needed on future of National Citizen Service to increase take-up, reduce cost per head and demonstrate long-term impacts.
The Committee concludes that the NCS Trust (the Trust) and DCMS cannot justify the “seemingly high” cost per participant. For 2016 this is expected to be £1,863 of taxpayers’ money, which the Committee compares to The Scout Association estimates of £550 to create a place in the Scouts that lasts at least four years.