§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his policy is on the funding of Veterinary Nursing NVQ training levels 2 and 3 in Northern Ireland. [177400]
§ Mr. PearsonThe Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), through the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), provides veterinary nursing training programmes leading to NVQ levels 2 and 3 in Northern Ireland.
Participants taking veterinary nursing programmes on a further education basis are charged programme fees and must also enrol with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and pay examination fees.
Approved veterinary training practices are eligible to apply for support under the Modern Apprenticeship scheme. This covers the above fees and provides financial support to the veterinary training practice. To date only one training practice with two trainees has availed of Modern Apprenticeship.
§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how further education training courses for veterinary nursing are funded in Northern Ireland. [177448]
§ Mr. PearsonThe Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), through the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), provides veterinary nursing training programmes leading to NVQ levels 2 and 3 in Northern Ireland.
Participants taking veterinary nursing programmes on a further education basis are charged programme fees that were initially benchmarked against the fees for similar programmes in the UK and increased in line with inflation since 1999.
In addition, participants must also enrol with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and pay examination fees.
Approved veterinary training practices are eligible to apply for support under the Modern Apprenticeship scheme. This covers the above fees and provides financial support to the veterinary training practice. To date, only one training practice with two trainees has availed of Modern Apprenticeship.