Matthew Green welcomes Prince's Trust Campaign

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 11th Oct 2004

Matthew Green, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Youth Affairs and MP for Ludlow, has welcomed a campaign by the Prince's Trust to ensure that socially excluded young people from disadvantaged communities are provided with the activities and resources to keep them entertained, motivated and diverted from anti-social behaviour.

A recent survey in the West Midlands found that 92% of adults believe that local authorities should provide more diversionary activities for young people. Matthew Green said: "I totally support the Prince's Trust campaign to ensure that young people are not the victims of a "No Ball Games" culture- where there are simply no activities to entertain and divert young people, and then bored and unmotivated they turn to anti-social behaviour.

"As Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Affairs and Liberal Democrat Youth Spokesperson I have long argued that young people should be given constructive alternatives to crime and anti-social behaviour, not only so that the Government can cut their crime figures, but because our young people need to be provided with a positive range of activities and opportunities."