Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of student loan repayments on recruitment and retention in NHS roles where a degree is mandatory.

This government is committed to training the staff we need to get patients seen on time, including more medical and clinical professionals and will work closely with partners in education to do so and ensure these professions remain attractive career choices.

We now have a complete apprentice pathway for nursing, from entry level to postgraduate advanced clinical practice. A person can join the NHS as an entry level healthcare assistant apprentice with a view to eventually qualifying as a registered nurse.

For those who do take out a student loan to support their studies, unlike commercial loans, student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. And at the end of the repayment term any outstanding loan debt, including interest accrued, will be cancelled with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.

Students studying on eligible courses at English universities qualify for additional support through the NHS Learning Support Fund or NHS Bursary.