Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with his Cabinet colleagues on expanding the Medical Training Initiative to meet the (a) the demand for places and (b) needs of NHS Trusts.

My Rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with Ministerial colleagues on a number of issues, including on the operation of the Medical Training Initiative.

The Government recognises the value of this initiative both to the National Health Service and to those who work and learn in the NHS on this scheme. However we also need to balance the operation of the scheme in order to avoid permanently draining lower income countries of their supply of doctors.