Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his Department's policy paper on NHS bursary reform, updated on 7 April 2016, against what baseline number the expected 10,000 increase in nursing, midwifery and allied health training places by 2020 as a result of the replacement of bursaries with student loans has been measured.

The Government is working with health and higher education delivery organisations to determine an appropriate baseline as part of implementing the reforms.

The Government does not agree with or recognise the figures or findings quoted in the London Economics report.

We need more home-grown nurses so the National Health Service does not have to rely on expensive agency staff or overseas nurses.

At present two thirds of people who apply to become a nurse are not accepted for training. The changes will mean we are able to accept more applicants who get the right grades than we do currently.