§ Mr. Burstow:To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on meeting charges for university variable top-up fees for student (a) nurses and (b) doctors; and if he will make a statement. [142063]
789W
§ Mr. Hutton:For the first four years of the standard undergraduate medical course, and for year one of the shorter (4 year) graduate entry course, the Department for Education and Skills' (DfES) means tested arrangements currently apply, whereby students are required to contribute up to £1,125 for fees, depending on parents' or spouses' income.
For years five and six of the traditional medical undergraduate course, and years two to four of the graduate entry course, the Department of Health/ national health service-funded arrangements apply, in which students make no contribution to tuition fees; their liability being met from the Department of Health's multi-professional education and training levy and paid direct to higher education institutions by the NHS Student Grants Unit.
While the proposals contained in the DIES' White Paper, "The Future of Higher Education", include allowing universities to increase tuition fees, there is as yet no clear indication from the higher education sector of the scope or scale of any increased charges.
I have already made it clear that we will if necessary take measures to ensure that any increase in the level of tuition fees will not have an adverse impact on the supply, retention, diversity or quality of students undertaking medical training.
I also refer the hon. Member to the response I gave him on 11 December 2003, Official Report, column 600W.