Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason the Government decided not to provide an additional 10,000 nursing degree places.

The Government remains committed to reforming nursing, midwifery and allied health pre-registration education and increasing the number of places available for students so that two in three nursing applicants are no longer turned down for a place; at the same time ensuring these students have more cash available to them while they study.

Universities and Colleges Admissions Service data show that up to March 2017 there had been around two applicants per available training place. Health Education England is confident that the National Health Service will have the required number of students it needs starting courses this year and will continue to work with the education sector to deliver these reforms successfully for the longer term.

It should also be noted that students will continue to apply for courses up to September and through clearing.

Arrangements confirming the future clinical placement commission model will be published in in due course.