LETTER TO THE TIMES

Sir, half the young people in the UK today have not been taught about teenage pregnancy and wouldn’t know where to find their local sexual health clinic. These figures from a UK Youth Parliament survey of over 20,000 young people may go some way to explaining disproportionately high rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections in this country.

We believe that all children and young people are entitled to receive sex and relationships education (SRE) as part of the statutory provision of Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE Education) in schools. No school should be able to opt out of delivering good sex and relationships education to their pupils (including primary schools, faith schools and academies), which should be taught throughout a pupil's time in education. Only staff with specialist training should be charged with delivering such education, and relationships should be taught as part of SRE. Above all, young people’s experiences of the current sex and relationships education provision must form the basis of any change to the curriculum.

Young people are bringing their findings and proposals on sex and relationships education to Jim Knight MP, Minister for Schools and Learners, this week. We urge the Government to listen to what they have to say and make changes on that basis.

Andy Hamflett, Chief Executive, UK Youth Parliament
Charlotte Atkins MP
Catherine Robinson, Assistant Director Children & Sexual Health Services, Ashton, Leigh & Wigan PCT
Annabel Kanabus, AVERT
Rt Hon Kevin Barron MP, Chairman, Health Committee
Dr Colm O’Mahony, Spokesperson, BASHH
Kieran Morgan, Director of Public Health, Bath & NE Somerset PCT
Priscilla Nkwenti, Chief Executive, Black Health Agency
Leslie Sinoway, Editor, Bliss Magazine
David Blunkett MP
Peter Bottomley MP
Dr Hugh Annett, Department of Public Health, Bristol PCT & Bristol City Council
Polly Toynbee, President, British Humanist Association
Simon Blake, Chief Executive, Brook
Johanna Field, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, British Youth Council
Chris Bryant MP
Richard Burden MP, Birmingham Northfield
Lorely Burt MP
Victoria Pickles, Head of Corporate Affairs, Calderdale Primary Care Trust
Wendy Gaston, Teenage Pregnancy Coordinator, Camden Council
Bob Reitmeier, Chief Executive, The Children’s Society
Jodi Manning, V Project Manager, Citizens Advice Bureau
Felicity Owen, Director of Public Health, Cornwall & Isles of Scilly PCT
Mark Newman, Health Advisor, Sexual Health Clinic, Countess of Chester Hospital
Lynn Price, Associate Specialist in Sexual Health, Countess of Chester Hospital
Dr Vicki Finnegan, Staff Grade Doctor in Sexual Health, Countess of Chester Hospital
Mike Atwood, Joint Chief Executive, Coventry PCT
Professor John R Ashton CBE, Director of Public Health, Cumbria PCT
Anne Whiteley, Director of Children & Young People’s Services, Devon County Council
Emma Peaple, Sexual Health Coordinator, Dorset County Council
Jim Dowd MP
Robert Key, Executive Director, Elton John Aids Foundation
Natascha Engel MP
Dr David Regis & Angela Balding, Schools Health Education Unit, Exeter
Anne Weyman OBE, Chief Executive, Family Planning Association
Anne Durbin, Executive Director, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (FFLAG)
Jane Slowey, Chief Executive, Foyer Federation
Roger Gale MP
Emma Insley, Director, Get Connected Helpline
Sandra Gidley MP
Mike Hancock MP
Deborah Harvey, Operations Manager, Care Services Directorate, Gloucestershire PCT
Sandra Saint, School Improvement Co-ordinator – PSHE & Healthy Schools, Hartlepool Borough Council
Yi-Mien Koh, Chief Executive, Hillingdon PCT
Paul Holmes MP
Kelvin Hopkins MP
Christopher Long, Chief Executive, Hull Teaching Primary Care Trust
Dr Brian Iddon MP
Baroness Joyce Gould, Chair, Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health & HIV
Trevor Pearcy, Organisational Development Specialist, International HIV/Aids Alliance
Marianne McLeod-Hill, Kirklees Teenage Pregnancy Strategy Co-ordinator, Kirklees Council
Norman Lamb MP
John Goffee, Head of Integrated Youth Support, Lancashire County Council
Christine Outram, Chief Executive, Leeds Primary Care Trust
Rob Leach, Lesbian & Gay Christian Movement
Stuart Smith, Executive Director, Children’s Services, Liverpool City Council
Dan Burraway, Chair, London LGBT Youth Council
Davina McCall, TV Presenter
John McDonnell MP
Zoe Barnett, Public Health Manager, Medway Council
Michael Bell, Director, Michael Bell Associates
Dannii Minogue, Ambassador for Young People, Terrence Higgins Trust
Barbara Hearn,  Acting Chief Executive, National Children’s Bureau
Jane Lees, NSCoPSE representative on the SEF, The National PSE Association for Advisers, Inspectors amd Consultants
Ama Uzowuru, Vice President Welfare, National Union of Students
Steve Sinnott, General Secretary, National Union of Teachers
Fiona Blacke, Chief Executive, National Youth Agency
Doug Naysmith MP
Dr Max Kammerling BM, MRCGP, FFPHM, Director of Public Health, North Somerset PCT
Dame Mary Marsh, Chief Executive, NSPCC
Lembit Opik MP
Jan Fry, Deputy Chief Executive, External Relations, Parentline Plus
Sophia Callaghan, Associate Director- Health and Well-being, Richmond & Twickenham PCT
Bob Russell MP, Colchester
Ben Summerskill, Chief Executive, Stonewall
Liz Swinden, Health Education Consultant
Jo Swinson MP
Helen Lee, Development & Training Manager, Tacade
Nick Partridge, Chief Executive, Terrence Higgins Trust
Claire Tyler, Chief Executive, Relate
Terry Piggott, Executive Director, Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council
Jeffrey W. Mecaskey, Head of Health, Save the Children
Lee Scott MP
Anna Martinez, coordinator, Sex Education Forum
Jonathan Crossley-Holland, Executive Director, Children and Young People’s Directorate, Sheffield City Council
Steve Slack, Director, Centre for HIV & Sexual Health, Sheffield Primary Care Trust
Howard Stoate MP
Annabel Brog, Editor, Sugar Magazine
Andrew Webster, Strategic Director for Families, Surrey County Council
Dr Richard Taylor
Gill Frances OBE, Chair, Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group and Director, Well-being, National Children's Bureau
Ian Pearson, Head of Education Service, West Berkshire Council
David Hawker, Deputy Chief Executive, Westminster City Council
Mary Neilson, PHSE Lead Waltham Forest, Waltham Forest, Change for Children Team Education
Dr Alan Whitehead MP
Jenny Willott MP
Jon Crockett, Chief Executive Wolverhampton City PCT
Neil Davidson, Sexual Health Consultant, Working With Men
Fiona Dawe, Chief Executive, YouthNet
539 Members of the UK Youth Parliament
John Bateman, Chief Executive, UK Youth
Dr Ellis Friedman, Director of Public Health, East Lancashire PCT
Kathy Doran, Chief Executive, Wirral Primary Care Trust
Colin Green, Director of Children, Learning and Young People, Coventry City Council
Barbara Hastings-Asatourian, Managing Director, Contraception Education Ltd
Jackie Brewis, Youth Service Manager, East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Dr Kevin Snee, Chief Executive, Devon Primary Care Trust