Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the (a) British Council and (b) European Commission on ensuring Erasmus+ bids for 2019-20 are ratified as soon as possible.

On behalf of the UK government and the European Commission, the British Council, in partnership with Ecorys UK, is responsible for the delivery of the Erasmus+ programme in the UK jointly forming the Erasmus+ UK National Agency. In this role, the department works very closely with the British Council and is in regular contact on a wide range of issues relating to the Erasmus+ programme. This includes the question of ratification of the bids for funding submitted under the Erasmus+ 2019 Call.

While the UK remains a Member State of the European Union, we continue to participate in all business-as-usual discussions, such as the Erasmus+ Programme Committee, which include representatives from the European Commission. My officials continue to engage with the European Commission on issues relating to Erasmus+ and, together with the Erasmus+ UK National Agency, are working to ensure that beneficiaries are provided with as much clarity on the status of their bids for funding. Further information on this will be provided as soon as possible.