Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what timetable the Government has set for implementation of a UK-EU youth mobility or youth experience scheme; what assessment he has made of the potential economic, educational and cultural benefits of increased youth mobility between the UK and EU member states; what steps he will take to ensure accessibility of any future scheme for young people from low and middle income backgrounds; and whether the Government plans to seek participation in wider European educational and exchange programmes.

We are negotiating an ambitious youth experience scheme with the EU. Any scheme will provide a valuable form of cultural exchange for young Brits to travel, work, study and experience other cultures. We have been clear that the scheme should be in line with the UK’s existing schemes, such as Australia and New Zealand, but the exact parameters are subject to negotiation. The youth experience scheme will be good for the economy, but we will not be able to provide a full assessment of the impacts whilst negotiations are ongoing.

This scheme will support opportunities for educational and cultural exchange, building on the exciting opportunities our association to Erasmus+ in 2027 brings.