The Future Jobs Fund gave hundreds of young people, many from the most deprived areas, the chance to work in the creative industries. New Deal of the Mind has published an independent evaluation of its Future Jobs Fund programme. It shows that over the last two years New Deal of the Mind, using funding from the Future Jobs Fund, has put over 500 young people into paid work placements with some of the leading arts organisations in the UK.

The Future Jobs Fund also got long term youth unemployment down. The Tory-led Government abolished it and brought in cuts and tax rises which go too far and too fast. Since February long term youth unemployment has risen by over sixty per cent.

The Future Jobs Fund got young people into work and helped provide the diversity and creativity on which the future of our creative industries depend.

The creative industries are vital for jobs and growth here in Britain – and therefore to getting the deficit down.

So the Government should back Labour’s Five Point Plan for jobs and growth- including a bank bonus tax to fund 100,000 jobs for young people in the creative industries and more widely.

And they should give small businesses in the creative industries and elsewhere a tax break if they take on extra workers.

Jeremy Hunt must stand up for the creative industries and the young people who aspire to work in them instead of taking away the funding which helped keep their dreams alive. He has shown just how out of touch with young people and our creative industries this government really is.