Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the British Medical Association's press release entitled Medical student poverty worsened by financial drought as student loans fall short over summer, published on 9 August 2025, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social care on the potential impact of extending eligibility to the full entitlement for student finance maintenance on students in receipt of the NHS Bursary during their (a) final undergraduate year and (b) later years of a post-graduate medical degree.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

​​The government needs to ensure that the student funding system is financially sustainable, and funding arrangements are reviewed each year. The department will continue to engage with the Department for Health and Social Care to consider the financial support that medical students receive.

​The cost of studying medicine is one of the important factors deterring working class students from applying to medicine. The Department for Health and Social Care is exploring options to improve financial support to students from the lowest socio-economic background so they are able to thrive at medical school.

​Students attending years 5 and 6 of undergraduate medical courses and years 2 to 4 of graduate entry medical courses qualify for NHS bursaries. The government has increased the NHS Bursary tuition fee contributions, maintenance grants and all allowances for the current academic year, 2025/26, by forecast inflation, 3.1%, based on the RPIX inflation index.

​Medical students qualifying for NHS bursaries support also qualify for reduced rate non-means tested loans for living costs from the department. The government has increased reduced rate loans by 3.1% for the 2025/26 academic year, in line with percentage increases to maximum loans for living costs in non-bursary years.

​To help students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds progress and excel in higher education, the government will introduce targeted, means-tested maintenance grants before the end of this Parliament. These grants will support students studying courses aligned with the government’s missions and the Industrial Strategy, funded by a levy on income from international student fees. We will also future proof our maintenance loan offer by increasing loans for living costs in line with forecast inflation every academic year from 2026/27 onwards, and provide extra support for care leavers, who will automatically become eligible to receive the maximum rate of maintenance loan.

​We will confirm the percentage increase to loans for living costs for the 2026/27 academic year in-line with updated inflation forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility published alongside the Autumn Budget.​

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of RSF violence against civilians in El Fasher and across Darfur; and whether it remains her policy to uphold UK commitments to (a) protect populations from atrocity crimes, (b) prevent mass atrocities and (c) uphold obligations to (i) prevent and (ii) punish genocide.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on the Conflict in Sudan on 5 November 2025.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her (a) officials leading the UK's geographic and atrocity prevention thematic response and (b) diplomatic counterparts on options for protecting civilians in (i) El Fasher, (ii) Tawila, and (iii) across Darfur.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on the Conflict in Sudan on 5 November 2025.

Armed Forces Training Contract and Elbit Systems

New private capital in the NHS in the Autumn Budget

Five-year indefinite leave to remain pathway for Skilled Worker visa holders

Cumulative disruption proposals and the right to protest

Two-child limit

Found: Q144 Abtisam Mohamed: My question is to Nina.

Found: Q144 Abtisam Mohamed: My question is to Nina.

Found: Q144 Abtisam Mohamed: My question is to Nina.

Found: Chair); Fleur Anderson; Alex Ballinger; Phil Brickell; Dan Carden; Richard Foord; Uma Kumaran; Abtisam Mohamed

Found: Chair); Fleur Anderson; Alex Ballinger; Phil Brickell; Dan Carden; Richard Foord; Uma Kumaran; Abtisam Mohamed