HC Deb 03 February 2004 vol 417 cc762-3W
Dr. Tonge

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects of tuition fees on women medical students. [149761]

Alan Johnson

Under our proposals for the introduction of variable fees from 2006, women medical students who commence their undergraduate course in 2006 or later, will be liable to pay variable fees of up to £3,000 per year, if the institution they attend decides to charge them.

The Government have made a number of proposals to safeguard access to higher education for those from low income families. Such students will continue, as now, to have the cost of the standard tuition fee (£1,125 in 2003/04) met by the Government. Around three in 10 students will also receive means tested Higher Education Grants of £1,000, to be raised to £1,500 for new students from 2006. In addition, many students from lower income families will be eligible for partial grant as well as bursaries and other support from universities under arrangements agreed by the Office of Fair Access.

Fees for English domiciled medical students in years five and six are currently paid by the Department of Health. These students also qualify for means tested NHS bursaries in their fifth and subsequent years of study. Department of Health Ministers have indicated that they 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 on health professional courses, including medicine. Arrangements for repayment of fee loans will, for all graduates, be heavily subsidised: graduates will repay their loans at zero real rate of interest and only when their income exceeds £15,000 per year. Repayments will then be made at a rate of 9 per cent. of income above £15,000. Loans will be written off after 25 years: that could particularly benefit female doctors who opt to take a career break.

Figures collected in March 2003 show that 73 per cent. of newly qualified medical graduates in hospital posts earn £34,533 per annum. This compares very favourably with the salaries of other newly qualified graduates. According to Graduate Prospects, the average starting salary for graduate-level jobs was £18,000 in 2002/03.

Paul Farrelly

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is his policy that trainee teachers will be exempt from university top-up fees; and if he will make a statement. [151238]

Alan Johnson

My right hon. Friend announced on 27 January that he will commission a report next year to examine gateways into the professions and the recruitment of graduates to the public services under the new student finance system. The findings of the report will inform the next comprehensive spending review.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether after the introduction of higher student fees he intends to maintain the universities block grant in real terms. [151966]

Alan Johnson

Future levels of funding for higher education will be subject to the outcomes of the current and subsequent spending reviews. I am, however, committed to safeguarding the level of funding for universities already set out to 2005–06 and expect to be able to deliver increases in future years.