Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Russell Group and (b) its individual members in preparation for the UK leaving the EU.

We continue to set up events all over the country to bring together academics, think tanks, businesses, charities, universities and more. This is a vitally important part of our work to create a national picture of what people want from a deal on exiting the EU.

Ministers have met a range of Higher Education Institutions, including through the stakeholder working group Jo Johnson - Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation – has set up. The group includes a number of senior representatives of UK research and innovation organisations, including the Russell Group, to discuss opportunities and issues arising from the UK’s exit from the European Union. This group will work with Government to ensure the UK remains a world leader in research and innovation.