Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of an EU youth mobility scheme on (a) domestic unemployment levels, (b) domestic welfare dependency and (c) the number of young UK nationals in work.

This Government is committed to ensuring opportunities for young British citizens to live, work, study, and travel across the European Union. That is why at the 2025 UK-EU Summit, we agreed to negotiate a balanced youth experience scheme with the EU. We have agreed that any scheme will be capped, subject to a visa requirement, as well as time-limited, ensuring any impact of the scheme is controlled. The scheme will give young British citizens the opportunity to develop personal and professional experiences, which will boost their employment prospects. We have been clear that the scheme should be in line with the UK’s existing schemes, such as with Australia and New Zealand. The exact parameters of the scheme are subject of ongoing negotiations.