As the call for evidence from the Speaker's Conference and terms of reference point out, there is a disparity between the representation of women, ethnic minorities and disabled people in the House of Commons, and their representation in the UK population at large.

  The situation in the House of Commons reflects a wider problem in society—that significant groups are underrepresented in positions of leadership and power in public bodies, business, the voluntary sector and the media. It is important to look beyond the House of Commons to address the problems of underrepresentation within it. Civic engagement and public leadership at a local level can be the first step on the journey to becoming a more prominent leader. For most, and particularly for those from the underrepresented groups, this progression requires encouragement and support.

  The routes that once helped to find and nurture leaders from marginalised communities in particular—like the churches and trade unions—no longer do so to the same extent. The main political parties have also shrunk. In the past, these channels were vital to providing the networks and skills that young people needed to reach positions of power, but they have since diminished. For example, being selected by a political party in a winnable seat generally requires candidates to both have developed significant networks within their party, and possess a range of skills, ranging from public speaking to leading a team of supporters. These institutions also played a key role in spotting talent, which could then develop through established and widely understood channels.

  As a result of these "channel blockages", young people who are financially better off, or have access to social networks, are advantaged in reaching positions of power. On the whole, these young people are less likely to be from an ethnic minority, be working class or have a disability. The Young Foundation has identified a number of barriers to getting young people from different communities engaged in civic leadership. These consist of mutually reinforcing supply and demand factors which are summarized in figure 1.

  The Young Foundation will recommend that initiatives which aim to readdress the imbalances in representation across government, the public sector, business and the voluntary sector need to combine addressing barriers to both the supply of new leaders, and the demand for new leaders. Possible ways of doing this include:

— Match-making intermediaries

— Connecting existing programmes to power networks—by creating new routes and making existing routes more accessible

— Focussing the motivation and passions of young people: giving them opportunities to develop their ideas into action

— Raising aspirations (including through local role models)

— Mentoring and other individualised support

— Including multiple methods on single programmes, to provide a full range of opportunities to develop and explore politics.

  In particular, we would like to see more opportunities focused on building the non-cognitive skills and networks that young people need to be active in their communities, and take up positions of power. These skills will also be increasingly important to have in the workforce over the coming decades.

  We should aim to create a pool of talented young people with the potential to go on to become MPs, but also take on other roles, whether in local government, other public bodies (eg PCT boards), business or the voluntary sector. Broadening the horizons and skills of young people is also more relevant in a world where there is an increasing expectation that people will change their career many times over the course of their lifetime. The UpRising leadership programme, which has been set up by the Young Foundation, is one possible model for this and is currently being piloted in Barking and Dagenham, Newham and Tower Hamlets. In every community, we would like to see a dedicated programme focused on developing the skills and networks of young people to be able to take up positions of power.

  An approach that works across the board to create routes for young people into positions of power (and to move from one area or sector to another) is likely to be more effective than one focused solely on a single institution. This is because one of the keys to success is building the skills and networks across the board that have both general application, and the potential to lead to greater involvement in politics. Major institutions, including Parliament, local authorities, quangos the BBC, the Police, PCTs and Housing Associations amongst others therefore need to reform to create better routes for the involvement and development of young people.

  To drive this systemic change, there is a need to develop and spread best practice of unblocking routes to power for young people. The government should help by encouraging institutions to include this in their thinking, especially where new progammes are being set up. For example, the proposed national internship scheme should not only help young people get into employment, but also spot and develop talented young people who can take up positions of power in a variety of roles.

  In summary, the disparity in representation needs to be tackled by addressing both the supply and demand factors that act as a barrier to young people influencing and taking up power across the UK and in particular in Parliament.