§ Mr. Wrayasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what is the ratio of teaching medical doctors and medical students for university medical departments; and what were the comparable figures for 1979;
(2) what is the ratio between teaching medical personnel and medical students for each year since 1973 in Scottish universities.
Mr. JacksonThe available figures cover full-time academic staff in clinical medical departments, employed by universities. The table below shows the ratio of full-time equivalent student load to such staff who are wholly university-financed. The figures do not take account of the teaching contribution of other members of clinical departments who are paid wholly or partly from DHSS or other sources of funds. They include staff engaged in teaching, teaching and research and research only.
Ratio of full-time equivalent student load to full-time academic staff wholly financed from general university funds. Clinical medical departments only Academic year beginning GB Universities Scottish Universities 1973 5.4 4.6 1974 5.5 4.7 1975 5.6 4.8 1976 5.4 4.5 1977 5.4 4.4 1978 5.4 4.4 1979 5.3 4.1 1980 5.6 4.4 1981 5.9 4.7 1982 6.6 5.6 1983 6.6 5.6 1984 6.9 6.2 1985 6.9 7.1
§ Mr. Wrayasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he last had discussions wth university authorities concerned with the university teaching and training of medical doctors.
Mr. JacksonMy right hon. Friend and I have frequent meetings with university interests at which a range of matters, which may inculude medical education, are discussed.
§ Mr. Wrayasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what policies and funds for the maintenance and progress of medical university training Her Majesty's Government have applied and provided for each year since 1979.
4W
Mr. JacksonThe Government's policy for medical education was recently set out in a joint note of guidance to the universities and the health authorities issued earlier this year, a copy of which is in the Library. Financial provision for undergraduate medical education is made through recurrent grants to the universities on the advice of the University Grants Committee and, in respect of teaching hospitals, through the National Health Service. In neither case is provision for the training of doctors specifically identified.
§ Mr. Wrayasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the number of new medical students in Scottish universities for each year since 1975.
Mr. JacksonThe number of full-time new entrant undergraduates to Scottish universities studying pre-clinical and clinical medicine in each year was as follows:
Number 1975 672 1976 651 1977 695 1978 685 1979 722 1980 717 1981 728 1982 773 1983 780 1984 791 1985 781 1986 —1 1 not yet available.
§ Mr. Wrayasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the provision of funds for medical equipment and laboratories in the Scottish universities for the purposes of medical teaching and training, for each year since 1973.
Mr. JacksonProvision for medical education is not separately identified in the equipment grants made to universities.