§ Mr. David StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether speech and language therapy undergraduates will be charged top-up fees from 2006. [144536]
§ Mr. HuttonExisting contracts between strategic health authorities and higher education institutions cover the full cost of training and top-up fees are not charged. The consultation document, Funding Learning and Development for the Healthcare Workforce, sets out our proposal for a national model contract. It is intended that this contract for National Health Service-funded pre-registration courses, which will include speech and language therapy undergraduates, to be introduced from 1 April 2004, will specifically prohibit the charging of top-up fees to students.