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The government is considering removing responsibility for the delivery of careers guidance from the Connexions service, it was revealed last week

Speaking in the House of Commons, education minister Kim Howells said that the government would include proposals on careers advice in the youth green paper due out in January.

Shadow minister for young people Charles Hendry MP said that the holistic nature of Connexions and the emphasis on targeted support was "diluting the expertise of careers advisers and reducing any sense that this is a universal service".

His comments were supported by the findings of a report by the House of Commons public accounts committee. It says that while Connexions is significantly reducing the proportion of 16 to 18 year olds who are not in education, employment or training, there is a risk that other young people may not always receive the advice they need.

But National Youth Agency chief executive Tom Wylie said that, if careers advice was taken away from Connexions, the new service would have to be able to provide independent guidance.

He warned against schools being made the new careers guidance providers as they had a financial interest in keeping children at their school.

• The public accounts committee report is available at www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk