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Centenary of Scouting

I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on leading his Beaver group, which is a big undertaking. The issue of flexibility is crucial, and I am sure that the national organisation will take that into account when encouraging more people to volunteer. That leads me to ask why more people do not volunteer. Many are afraid of making a time commitment, as the hon. Gentleman has just pointed out, but scout groups can be flexible. They will allow volunteers to give as little or as much time as they feel that they can. Other people feel that they do not have the right skills, but anyone can help. A person does not have to be a qualified rock climber to help to run a community-based scout group. Office skills are just as important, for example, and everyone can contribute something. There are concerns about risk, and a perception that leaders might be open to law suits. However, the Scout Association provides award-winning training and one-to-one support to help people to make the best use of their skills and talents and to guide them through a range of potential situations. As the House would expect, I particularly want to praise the good work and achievements of the Southend West district scouts, led by Pete Murray—not the former disc jockey, but the district commissioner. Southend West district scouts are an amalgamation of Leigh-on-Sea district scouts and Westcliff district scouts. The amalgamation took place in September 2004, and I am informed that it is going well. Southend West district scouts are able to boast nearly 1,000 members this year—an increase of nearly 100 over the past year. It is a tribute to the organisation that it continues to be so popular a century after it was founded. To mark the centenary, 650 scouts were recently present at the centenary renewal promise in Southend. The hon. Member for Colchester (Bob Russell) and I were present at Windsor to see Her Majesty the Queen inspect the Queen’s scouts. That was indeed a wonderful occasion. Southend West district scouts are also holding a centenary camp weekend in June and a mini-jamboree at Belchamps campsite to coincide with the world jamboree. Of the 17 scout groups in Southend, West, there are three sea scout units, two of which are Admiralty recognised. All three have excellent waterfront facilities and are fully equipped for the training of all young people. They also do a wonderful job in organising the Leigh regatta. Two of the groups also have full disabled facilities. Despite the huge popularity of the Southend West district scout group, it lacks volunteers. So what about volunteering generally? Adult volunteering is an issue that extends beyond the scout movement. For instance, the Samaritans reported earlier this month that 65.4 per cent. of 16 to 24-year-olds said that they had thought about helping their community in their spare time, yet only 2 per cent. said that they would actually turn out and volunteer. That is a very low rate of return. A Samaritans volunteer survey showed that 95 per cent. of people had between one and eight hours free time every day, which adds up to between seven and 56 hours spare time each week. According to Volunteering England, the reason that many employers encourage volunteering is that it makes a big difference not only to the organisations that people volunteer for, but to those that employ the volunteers. I want to say a word about volunteering in Southend, West. The motivations for volunteering vary enormously. Some people might want to help various organisations that have helped them in the past. We all know from our constituency contacts that that is often the inspiration behind a volunteer group. Volunteering enables people to learn new skills and to experience different areas of life. I am interested in the scouts because I was a member of the 47th West Ham group. I did more than 100 nights rough camping and got a great deal out of the organisation and, in my humble way, I want to give something back to scouting. There are endless opportunities for volunteering that will appeal to many different people. For example, there are opportunities to help on environmental projects and others relating to animal welfare, working alongside the RSPCA. In particular, I extend my thanks to the 300 people who regularly help out at Southend university hospital. I also thank those who do a magnificent job helping Essex Air Ambulance. I pay tribute to the recent event organised at No. 11 Downing street, which was a splendid occasion, and which all those who attended thoroughly enjoyed. There is no point having an Adjournment debate, however, if one does not ask the Government to do something. May I therefore gently ask the Minister to tell the House what plans he has to assist the voluntary sector in encouraging more people to volunteer? Do the Government have any plans to work with employers to make it easier for employees to volunteer, to which the hon. Member for Loughborough (Mr. Reed) referred with regard to flexible hours? How will the Government encourage young people to become more involved in volunteering, capitalise on the will to volunteer reported by the Samaritans, and turn that will into action? I recognise the support provided by the Government to the Scout Association in its centenary year, and I welcome the Chancellor’s recent Budget commitment to increase the quality and quantity of opportunities for volunteering and awareness of the benefits of volunteering. I would like to hear more from the Minister, however, about how that commitment will be implemented and how its success will be measured. Let us celebrate the centenary of scouting and do all that we can to encourage volunteering, so that this wonderful movement, which has done so much for so many people, prospers for at least another 100 years.