16 July 2014

Brooks Newmark MP is given Minister for Civil Society role

News and events

The Conservative MP for Braintree, Brooks Newmark, is the newly appointed Minister for Civil Society following Tuesday’s government reshuffle, stating that he is “absolutely delighted to have been made minister for civil society working with our country’s great charities and voluntary sector”.  Newmark takes over from Nick Hurd MP who has been a committed champion of the third sector in his time in the role.

 

Newmark, a former member of the Treasury Select Committee, spoke last year at the Transition to Adulthood Alliance fringe event at Conservative Party Conference, which focused on the criminal justice implications of youth unemployment.

 

As the Guardian reported at the time, Newmark set out his view that businesses should receive tax breaks for providing jobs for unemployed young people. He told delegates that youth unemployment costs the government up to £10bn, and he estimated that even if the scheme resulted in the employment of all 1 million young unemployed people, it would cost the government only £237m. Newmark said this would “encourage businesses to reach out a little bit more” and described the scheme a “win-win for all parties”.