Young people in Wales are to be targeted in a new fact-finding mission aimed at getting them more interested in politics.

The influential Welsh Affairs Select Committee will be hearing the views of students and their teachers when they pay a two-day visit to Cardiff this week.

The Children's Commissioner will offer advice

MPs will also be meeting the Children's Commissioner, Peter Clarke, when they visit the Ely district of the city on Monday and Tuesday.

In particular, they will be looking at the question of why some young people feel excluded from the political process.

The politicians will hear evidence as part of an inquiry, Empowering Children and Young People in Wales.

They will be examining the level of participation young people have in politics, asking why some perhaps feel excluded from the political process - and how that problem might be tackled.

Cardiff North MP Julie Morgan and student Tanwen Sommers, 18 - who had said she was not interested in politics - spent an hour together discussing the role of an MP.

At the end of the time, Tanwen conceded that her interest had been slightly awakened.

"We agreed it was more a lack of knowledge. I didn't realise that she actually does help to find accommodation and fund grants for students.

Julie Morgan MP: politicians should be 'available'

"There's been an inquiry into top-up fees in uni where people don't want to study through fear of debt later on.

"But we also talked about things like school toilets - I didn't think politicians would get involved personally with things.

"We talked about the Children's Commissioner involving young people [in his research]."

Mrs Morgan commented: "Tanwen just didn't realise the sort of job I'm doing most of the time when I'm not in Westminster which is really getting involved in all these issuses.

"It's a lesson to us, to the politicians, that we have to get out there anda make ourselves available.

"I also think it's a general lesson as well in terms of education and what we learn at school, and that perhaps a bit more should be done at school about this sort of thing."

Citizenship

The committee begins its visit meeting students from Michaelston Community College, before walking across the Ely council estate to meet the Children's Commissioner at the Dusty Forge Community Centre.

As well as raising the question of political participation, the MPs will look at how issues such as citizenship, disability, race and sexual preference impact upon young people's lives.

On Tuesday, they will visit Tongwynlais Primary School and meet workers from the Save the Children charity.

Trips to north Wales - taking in Rhyl, Bangor and Caernarfon - are planned for the new year, as are visits to Swansea and Carmarthen.

Poor turn-out

In September, the Electoral Commission revealed that young people across the UK were to be targeted in the hope of getting them to register to vote.

Poor election turn-outs - especially among younger voters - has politicians worried.

The Commission launched a campaign called "Votes Are Power" in the hope of persuading greater voter registration among the young.

To coincide with the annual push to get people on the electoral register, a new cinema advert is set to be launched nationally this autumn.

The commercial - entitled "Unstoppable" - features a range of special effects, and 3D animation.

In the film, a young man sprints across a dark landscape clutching a ballot paper marked with a cross.

Not registered

His vote gives him the power to effect change over the structures he comes across, including a bulldozer, a wind farm and giant tower block.

Just 39% of young people voted in the 2001 general election.

More than one in four of those young people who did not vote had not even registered.

The advert is timed to coincide with the annual canvass - when the electoral register is updated - and is aimed primarily at increasing registration amongst 18-24 year olds.

A spokesman for the Electoral Commission said: "The Votes Are Power autumn campaign is the latest stage in our ongoing drive to increase public participation in democratic processes.

"It will include elements specifically targeting young people and members of black and minority ethnic communities, two groups that have significantly lower than average registration and voting rates."