Youth Mobility Scheme

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent Excerpts

Wednesday 29th October 2025 Lords Chamber

[The Earl of Clancarty]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in the agreement of a youth mobility scheme between the United Kingdom and the EU.

[Baroness in Waiting/Government Whip (Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent) (Lab)]

My Lords, we are working with the EU towards the establishment of a balanced youth experience scheme. We have agreed that any scheme will be subject to an allotted number of places and to a visa requirement, and time limited. We have also been clear that it should be in line with the UK’s existing schemes. The exact parameters will be subject to discussion and negotiations, which are under way. Noble Lords will understand that I cannot comment in detail on ongoing negotiations.

[The Earl of Clancarty (CB)]

My Lords, this Question is a companion piece to the Question last week from the noble Baroness, Lady Coussins, on Erasmus, to which she got an encouraging reply. The only proviso, of course, is that were we in the single market, which most voters now back, a youth mobility scheme would be entirely unnecessary. I ask the Minister to consider young British people, particularly from less privileged backgrounds, who have been for almost five years effectively blocked from living and working in Europe. What urgency are the Government giving to putting a scheme in place that ensures that no more young people are excluded from these important life experiences?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

I very much appreciate the noble Earl’s question and from where it comes. I assure your Lordships’ House that discussions are actively under way, and we hope to bring forward responses with details of the scheme in the coming months.

[Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate (Con)]

My Lords, it is very encouraging to hear that the Government are moving forward with what is so important: bringing young people together, particularly around Europe. An event took place in this Parliament this week to support further development of the teaching of languages. Will the Minister therefore confirm to me that, in the context of bringing young people together, it is also important to encourage our young people to learn more languages, at a time when most schools and colleges are cutting back on such an enormous resource?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

The noble Lord is absolutely right: 60% of schools are struggling to recruit modern foreign language teachers. Given that the European Union is our largest trading partner, the reality is that it would probably be sensible if we could talk to them in their language, as well as ours. By joining the Erasmus scheme, by making sure there are educational opportunities for both staff and young people, and through a future youth mobility scheme, we are ensuring that we have shared cultural opportunities and the opportunity for shared language schemes too.

[The Lord Bishop of Winchester]

I am very grateful to the Minister for her Answer. For understandable reasons, His Majesty’s Government are very concerned at the moment to prevent people crossing the channel in one direction. However, it seems to me that we should be positively encouraging our young people to cross the channel in the other direction to take advantage of the very real opportunities a youth mobility scheme would offer, not simply for their own sake—although that is really important, as we have heard—but because, in an increasingly fractious and dangerous world, we sorely need young people with a broad, informed international perspective. Can the Minister confirm that—as well as, I hope, allowing such mobility—the Government will actually encourage such participation?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

The right reverend Prelate makes a very important point. One of the reasons why we have these schemes is the shared cultural and social norms with our nearest allies that develop from them. There are 13 of these schemes already in existence, ranging from New Zealand and Canada to Uruguay, ensuring that people have access. So far this year, 12,000 visas have been issued. This is active participation to make sure that young people view the world in the broadest possible way.

[Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD)]

My Lords, the Minister referred to “a balance”. We are very conscious that when we were in the EU, more students and young people from the EU and elsewhere came to Britain. What are the Government doing to encourage young British people to spend time on the continent taking apprenticeships, a year in universities or whatever? On the question of balance and improving languages, are we considering a teaching assistant exchange whereby people with native languages might be able to teach in British schools, with people here teaching English there?

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[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

I would like to reassure the noble Lord that a teaching assistant exchange already exists, and I am more than happy to write to him with the details of that scheme. The Turing scheme has provided over 35,000 opportunities for young people, and in Wales and Scotland there are the Taith and SEEP schemes. As and when we rejoin Erasmus, that will provide easier pathways for educational opportunities across Europe.

[Baroness Bull (CB)]

My Lords, I follow my noble friends Lady Coussins and Lord Clancarty to create a hat trick by mentioning the less well-known Creative Europe. The Minister will know that it includes a Culture Moves Europe programme with a budget of €21 million over the current period to provide mobility grants for cultural professionals. Does she agree that alongside a youth exchange programme, this would be a valuable platform to enable the intercultural international exchange that enables personal development and career growth?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

I was doing so well in reassuring noble Lords, but I am afraid that I will have to give a level of disappointment to the noble Baroness. We are not currently considering rejoining the creative arm. However, 40% of touring artists are under the age of 35, meaning that they would be able to access work for up to three years, subject to the negotiations, via the youth mobility scheme. So that is one way in which we can encourage creative engagement.

[Baroness Finn (Con)]

My Lords, at a time when youth engagement and creating opportunities at home are so vital, why have the Government chosen to end the National Citizen Service and withdraw funding from the cadet expansion programme? Have Ministers assessed the wider social and economic benefits that these schemes deliver? Will similar initiatives such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award be protected from further cuts? We should be building these opportunities for young people at home as our priority.

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

I very much appreciate the noble Baroness’s support for the cadet scheme; in fact, I was the honorary president of my local air cadets until I joined the Government. Let me be clear: as no one in this House will be surprised to hear, we had to make some appalling decisions because of the financial inheritance from the previous Government. On that basis, difficult decisions have been made, but noble Lords will also appreciate that announcements have been made about the cadet scheme, and they are available for all noble Lords, so they can see how much we celebrate the role of cadets as ambassadors.

[Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (PC)]

My Lords, the Minister noted that it would be a balanced scheme with an allotted number of places. How will the Government ensure that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and rural communities are part of that and not left out of such a scheme?

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[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

As someone who lives in Stoke-on-Trent, I completely appreciate where the noble Baroness is coming from. Some 61% of participants in the Turing scheme in England come from underprivileged backgrounds and disadvantaged communities. Erasmus’s current focus is also about ensuring that people who would not otherwise have those opportunities can be afforded them. This is an incredibly important part of making sure that aspiration and attainment is available to everyone—a core part of our mission for growth, and of the value system of the Labour Party.

[Lord Krebs (CB)]

My Lords, given the importance of scientific research and innovation to the future prosperity of this country, have the Government assessed the impact of the current restrictions on youth mobility in Europe on the progress of scientific research in this country?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

That is a genuinely interesting question, and that is one of the reasons why our rejoining Erasmus could be so beneficial to our country. One of the issues—which is part of our conversations about the youth mobility scheme, as well as rejoining Erasmus—is the economic impact it will have, while ensuring that we have opportunities to share scientific endeavours and discoveries. It will also provide us with opportunities to ensure that our social and creative work is shared with our closest allies.

[Lord Watts (Lab)]

My Lords—

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[Lord Watts (Lab)]

My Lords, is this not yet another example of how badly the previous Government negotiated the Brexit deal, leaving our young people with worse options than they had before?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

My noble friend raises a very important point. I campaigned for remain, though I lived in a leave area. I appreciate and fully respect the result of the referendum, and we need to make it work. That is not to say, however, that it came without a cost—paid by individuals, including our young people. The Turing scheme has been great, with 35,000 opportunities afforded by it, but 16 million young people had opportunities via the Erasmus scheme. This is a different scale, which is why we want to participate.