§ Mr. MoleTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action she intends to take in co-operation with the Department of Health to rationalise student finance for trainee doctors. [49907]
§ Margaret HodgeIt has been agreed with the Department of Health that, from academic year 2002–03, undergraduate medical and dental students should in year five and any subsequent year of their course become eligible for a means-tested NHS bursary of up to £2,640 a year in London and £2,148 elsewhere and a reduced-rate student loan of up to £2,365 a year in London and £1,915 elsewhere.
For the first four years of their course, medical and dental students will be entitled to loans from the Student Loans Company like other higher education students and they are assessed for a contribution to tuition fees. However, from year five they will not pay any contribution to tuition fees.
In addition, they will also continue to receive extra weeks allowances throughout the course to take account of their longer academic year.
This enhanced package of support recognises that medical and dental training programmes are longer than average; and it should help to guarantee the supply of newly qualified staff.