"Yes, my noble friend is absolutely right. This is an enormously exciting opportunity for learners, for educators, for young people and for our communities. It is an investment in opportunity for our young people, our workforce and our future, opening doors for tens of thousands of people across the UK …..." Baroness Smith of Malvern - View Speech
"My Lords, the UK has agreed terms to join the Erasmus+ programme in 2027. The scope of the programme is set by the European Commission, and diversity and inclusion is a key priority. Erasmus+ dedicates additional support to people with fewer opportunities, which includes people with migrant or refugee backgrounds. …..." Baroness Smith of Malvern - View Speech
"Of course, the nature of the rights of asylum seekers means that they would not, for example, be able to benefit from travel overseas. Were they to be volunteering or in education, they could benefit from Erasmus programmes there...." Baroness Smith of Malvern - View Speech
"This is a number one priority. In my work in the Department for Work and Pensions, the Secretary of State has been completely clear about the focus that we need to place on youth unemployment, on our youth guarantee and on appropriately spending the £1.5 billion that we received from …..." Baroness Smith of Malvern - View Speech
"I am sorry, but I do not recognise those figures. What we have agreed is the joining of the last year of this round of Erasmus+ in 2027, at a 30% discount—something not achieved by the party opposite—saving UK taxpayers around £240 million and ensuring benefit to tens of thousands …..." Baroness Smith of Malvern - View Speech
"All the revenue raised from the international student levy will be invested into higher education and the rest of the skills system, including the reintroduction of maintenance grants to enable students from all backgrounds to benefit from our world-class higher education. Our decision to lift the cap and to index-link …..." Baroness Smith of Malvern - View Speech
"The noble Lord is exactly right. That is why we need to make sure, with this opportunity that we have with Erasmus+, that we do better than we did the last time we were in the Erasmus scheme in making sure that we get the benefits in the UK. It …..." Baroness Smith of Malvern - View Speech
"No, we are joining Erasmus on much better financial arrangements, with a 30% discount, for a larger scheme that will provide more opportunities for our young people and, in fact, for people throughout their lives, because in adult education you can benefit from this as well. We will get the …..." Baroness Smith of Malvern - View Speech
"The noble Lord is right. We have a job, as I was just suggesting, to make sure that schools around the country understand the potential of Erasmus. That is why we will soon be in a position to announce the national agency that will be co-ordinating this. As my noble …..." Baroness Smith of Malvern - View Speech