Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent discussions have taken place on the UK's continuing participation in Erasmus in the event of the UK leaving the EU (a) with and (b) without a deal.

The Government values international exchange and collaboration in education and training.

Under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, the UK would continue to take part in current EU programmes, including Erasmus+, for the duration of the transition period. Any participation beyond this would be a matter for upcoming negotiations on our future relationship with the EU. While the regulations for future EU programmes are still in the process of being developed, the Political Declaration envisages the possibility of UK participation in EU programmes like Erasmus+ and the negotiation of general terms of participation.

In the event that the UK leaves the EU with no agreement in place, the Government’s guarantee will cover the payment of awards to UK applicants for all successful Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps bids submitted before the end of 2020. Furthermore, the Commission’s Erasmus+ contingency regulation establishes that Key Action 1 mobilities, that are ongoing when the UK withdraws from the EU, do not have to be interrupted, even in a ‘no deal’ scenario. This means UK Erasmus+ students already abroad will be able to complete their study placements.