Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that the views of the Scottish Government and other devolved Administrations are reflected in the UK position in negotiations on continued UK participation in EU programmes Erasmus Plus and Horizon Europe after the transition period.

The Minister of State for Universities and I have regular conversations with our counterparts in the Scottish Government and other Devolved Administrations across a wide range of education and science, research and innovation issues, including those relating to possible future participation in Erasmus Plus and Horizon Europe.

The Government is open to participation in Horizon Europe if a fair and balanced deal can be reached. Alongside this, BEIS is working with the Devolved Administrations to develop credible options should alternative schemes be required. Funding for any continued participation in EU research and innovation Programmes or EU replacement schemes is subject to allocations at the Spending Review.

The Minister of State for Universities’ discussions include the UK’s approach to EU study and exchange programmes, including Erasmus+, where the government remains open to considering participation in some elements of the next programme. This will be subject to our ongoing negotiations with the EU. In parallel with the negotiations we are continuing to develop a UK-wide domestic alternative to Erasmus+, as a contingency measure. Decisions on funding beyond 2020-21 will be considered at future spending review processes, including Spending Review 2020 which will set out 2021-22 departmental budgets in November. The Devolved Administrations are also part of the governance and development process for the domestic alternative scheme, and we will continue to co-operate closely with them.