To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to replace bursaries for medical and dental students with loans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed replacement of NHS bursaries by student loans on the number of mature students enrolling on nursing, widwifery and allied healthcare courses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36629, on health professions: training, if he will make available a copy of the advice he received from leading nursing professionals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36629, on health professions: training, if he will list the stakeholders who were consulted about proposed changes to NHS bursaries.

The Government does not plan to change the funding arrangements for medical and dental students who are already on the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills student support system for the first four years of their degrees.

A preliminary Equality Analysis was published alongside the public consultation document on the 7 April 2016. This document provides the assessment of the potential effect of the replacement of National Health Service bursaries by student loans for all the protected characteristics of the Public Sector Equality Duty (Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010).

The Equality Analysis and the government consultation can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changing-how-healthcare-education-is-funded

As with all policy development, to inform decision-making, Ministers were briefed internally by relevant Departmental officials, including nursing profession leads.

The Department received joint correspondence from the Council of Deans of Health and Universities UK about a number of issues relating to healthcare education funding in England. A copy of the letter is attached.

The Department received a number of representations from organisations, including Royal Colleges, professional bodies and representatives of universities, about a number of issues relating to healthcare student education funding in England including a potential move from the current system of funding to student loans.