The British Youth Council’s Youth Select Committee will question experts and politicians about the cost of living’s impact on their peer’s health and wellbeing. The new committee of twelve young people aged between 13 and 18, will embark on the eigh-month inquiry in the summer of 2023.
Almost half a million young people declared health and wellbeing their biggest concern in a UK-wide ballot of young people aged 11 to 18 last year. Further research in the summer concluded the cost of living crisis was a key driving factor. Research published by the House of Commons Library in April 2023, stated the cost of living increased sharply across the UK during 2021 and 2022.
The Youth Select Committee, supported by the House of Commons and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will set out the critical areas for exploration prior to seeking written and oral evidence from the public in the summer.
Zara Khan, Chair of the British Youth Council, the charity which coordinates the Youth Select Committee: “Young people have declared health and wellbeing a key issue of concern and it’s evident the cost of living crisis is a key driver in this.
“The Youth Select Committee’s inquiry will be a key opportunity to establish the impact the cost of living is having on young people, how best we might resolve the issues being created and importantly will garner a response from the UK Government. We’re pleased to be working with the UK Government and UK Parliament on this important issue.”
Commenting on the new Youth Select Committee, Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, Speaker of the House of Commons, said: “I’m encouraging all young people to get involved with this inquiry.
“Whether applying to sit on the Committee itself, or by submitting evidence about your own lived experience as a young person, there are many ways to help inform the final report.
“I hope this inquiry will lead to insights that can be usefully applied by politicians from across the House.”
Previous inquiry considered the impact of knife crime, following a ballot of a million young people. The Committee concluded the knife crime epidemic was fueled by cuts to vital services.