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Press Release

Members of Youth Parliament prepare for House Of Commons debate

25 October 2011

Two Halton teenagers are preparing to experience life on the famous green leather benches of the House of Commons Chamber next week, when they travel down to London to debate with 330 other Members of Youth Parliament (MYP).

Elena Cross, Halton's 17-year-old MYP and her deputy, Daniel Myatt, 16, both from Widnes, work year-round to represent the views of young people in Halton.

They will take part in the debate on Friday 4 November to discuss the issues and needs of young people nationwide and determine the focus and priorities of the UK Youth Parliament's (UKYP) national campaign for the forthcoming year.

The political partners will be accompanied by Action for Children youth work co-ordinator, Vanessa Shaw, who works with Halton Borough Council to ensure the democratic election of Halton's representatives at UKYP each year.

She is proud to see the MYPs taking their role and responsibility seriously and looking forward to hearing young people debate the issues that matter the most to them today.

"Over 60,000 young people from across theUKhave considered the issues most important to them and voted in advance of the event on which topics they would like to be discussed," Vanessa explained.

"It is a brilliant opportunity for Elena and Daniel to experience democracy and have a chance to shape the future of young people both in Halton and across theUK."

Danny can't wait to get stuck in: "It's so exciting just to visit the House of Commons, never mind hold our debate in the room where crucial decisions about the country are frequently made," he said. "It's a huge honour and privilege, and I'm sure it will make our debating skills even stronger on the day."

Among the topics being discussed will be the provision of public transport for young people, a graduate tax as an alternative to tuition fees, and zero tolerance towards bullying in schools. The event forms part of Parliament Week, and the young people will also have the opportunity to meet Members of Parliament and other national influencers.



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