Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the availability of learning‑disability nursing training places in regions where provision is determined solely by university education providers; and what assessment he has made of the impact of learner demand and provider capacity on access to such training in areas including North East Hampshire.

No assessment has been made. Undergraduate training places for nurses, including learning disability nurses, are not centrally commissioned by the Government. Instead, they are determined by local employers and education providers who decide the number of learners they admit based on learner demand and provider capacity.

In Spring 2026, NHS England will convene a national Learning Disability Nursing Education and Training Steering Group, bringing together a range of stakeholders to oversee key strategic priorities for the Learning Disability Nursing profession. These priorities include stabilising and growing education provision and fostering collaboration across higher education institutions.