Erasmus+ Programme

Department for Education written question – answered at on 11 December 2018.

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Photo of Gordon Marsden Gordon Marsden Shadow Minister (Education)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the UK's continued participation of FE college students in the Erasmus+ Programme.

Photo of Gordon Marsden Gordon Marsden Shadow Minister (Education)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions (a) he and (b) the Minister for Skills has had with the further education sector on the UK's continued participation in the Erasmus+ programme after the UK leaves the EU.

Photo of Gordon Marsden Gordon Marsden Shadow Minister (Education)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the continued participation of further education college students in the ERASMUS programme.

Photo of Chris Skidmore Chris Skidmore Vice-Chair, Conservative Party, Minister of State (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Universities and Science) (Joint with the Department for Education)

Holding answer received on 10 December 2018

Officials and I are in regular contact with the Department for Exiting the European Union on issues relating to UK participation in the Erasmus+ programme after the UK leaves the EU. Officials also engage regularly with sector stakeholders.

The government has made clear that it values international exchanges and collaboration as part of its vision for a Global Britain and I am therefore pleased that, under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, UK entities' right to participate in EU programmes during the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), including Erasmus+, will be unaffected by the UK's withdrawal from the EU for the lifetime of projects financed by the current MFF. This will, of course, include the further education sector which is a key part of the current Erasmus+ programme.

As such, following ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement, UK organisations and individuals taking part in the current Erasmus+ programme will be able to continue to bid for funding, participate in and lead consortia, until programme closure in 2020.

The UK is open to exploring participation in the successor scheme to the current Erasmus+ Programme and we welcome the proposals for the 2021-2027 successor scheme to Erasmus+, which were published on 30 May. We are considering these carefully and will continue to participate in discussions on them while we remain in the EU.

We have also made clear that the government is open to maintaining cooperation in the areas of education and culture, as noted in the Political Declaration on the Future UK-EU relationship.

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