§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the outcome of the meeting of the European Community Education Ministers in Brussels on 14 December; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacGregorI represented the United Kingdom at the Education Council in Brussels on 14 December.
The Council agreed the extension of the European community action scheme for the mobility of university students—the ERASMUS programme—for a further five years from 1990–94, at an estimated cost of 192 million ecu (about £140 million) for the first three years of the new phase.
Education Ministers also discussed co-operation with the countries of eastern Europe, and, in particular, with Poland and Hungary. We had the benefit of a prior discussion with the Education Ministers from Poland and 831W Hungary. We recognised the importance of assistance in the field of education and training and agreed urgently to pursue proposals for the establishment of a European training foundation and the development of exchange and other programmes in these areas.
The Council also discussed technical and vocational education. We agreed conclusions inviting the Commission to review existing Community programmes in this area and to prepare proposals for further measures that might be desirable at Community level having regard to the principle of subsidiarity and the need to secure value for money.