Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that undergraduate medical tariff funding is spent on frontline teaching and training for medical students.

The Medical Undergraduate Tariff (MUT) recognises both the time and staff required to supervise and teach undergraduate medical students, the provision of facilities for students while on placement, and the impact of hosting students on clinical activity.

The Annual Accountability Report was used by Health Education England (HEE) from 2020 to 2023 for secondary care providers to report on their use of the MUT. Following the merger of HEE into NHS England in 2023, NHS England gave responsibility for financial assurance to regional NHS England workforce, training, and education quality teams.

MUT payments are calculated based on the locally validated student placement data collection process, which provides assurance that trusts are receiving payments based on delivery of placements and education. It is the responsibility of NHS England and individual placement providers to ensure that money allocated to it is used for its intended purpose. No MUT payments have been withheld in the last five years.