§ 51. Mr. Martenasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why the cost of an intercalated year of study is paid for students reading for degrees in human medicine by the Medical Research Council yet no such arrangements exists for students taking degrees in veterinary medicine.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsThe normal arrangement is that undergraduates who intercalate a year of study receive support for that year at the discretion of their home local education authority. For many years the Medical Research Council has operated a special arrangement whereby it reimburses the cost of local authority support for selected medical and dental students of high potential because this is considered necessary to ensure an adequate supply of future academic or research workers in the medical and dental fields. I understand that the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons is considering whether there is a case to be made to the Agricultural Research Council for comparable treatment of veterinarians.