MEDICAL STUDENT DEBT

Early day motion 266, tabled 3 December 2002 by Ian Gibson (Labour). Signed by 86 members.

That this House notes that the recently published BMA survey on medical student debt reveals that the average amount of debt incurred by medical students has increased in the past year by 12.5 per cent. from ú9,732 to ú10,966; further notes with concern that debts were much higher amongst medical students from families with lower incomes while 70 per cent. of students surveyed came from professional or managerial backgrounds; calls on the Government urgently to address the issue of spiralling student debt in its deliberations in advance of the publication of its strategy on higher education funding in the New Year as well as how to widen access to higher education, including the study of medicine, for students from poorer backgrounds and those without a family history of involvement in higher education.

Signatures by party: Labour 47, Liberal Democrat 27, Labour/Co-operative 5, Conservative 2, Plaid Cymru 2, UUP 2, Independent 1.