Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:17 pm on 14 January 2020.
I'd like to concur with some of the comments made previously that this is an amazing opportunity for many young people, not only academically, but it can change their lives and the people they meet and the type of lifestyle they'll go on to lead in this country. And I do think that, as a party of aspiration, the Conservatives are taking the wrong stance here, because if they believe that everybody should have the chance to study abroad, then they will deny, potentially, the chance to working class and middle class people and it will only be the rich that will be able to take part in these particular schemes. And that is an embarrassment for them.
I've heard, and I've read the fact-checking, that they are looking—only looking—to have negotiation on the future of Erasmus in any trade negotiations in the future. It doesn't guarantee that we will stay within Erasmus. In that eventuality, what type of discussions are you having with the European Union? For example, if the Conservatives come up with this watered-down project that you have anticipated, what will you be able to do from a Welsh perspective in terms of an alternative plan? I know that you can't directly liaise, because we are not a nation state in that regard, to be able to have those conversations, but can we do it by institution, or will that prove to be more difficult to do? Are there other options on the table, albeit that we all want to fight for the current Erasmus programme? What other alternatives are you looking at at the moment as a Government?