HIGHER EDUCATION FEES AND MEDICINE

Early day motion 478, tabled 22 January 2004 by John Austin (Labour). Signed by 58 members.

That this House recognises that medicine should not be an elitist profession; notes the comments of the Lifelong Learning, Higher and Further Education Minister that not enough talented people from working class backgrounds apply to our leading universities; further notes that the Higher Education Bill student support concessions demonstrate the Government's awareness of the potential of its plans to deter students from studying expensive courses such as medicine but fail fully to appreciate the high levels of debt such factors as the extra three years of study cause; and calls on the Government not to introduce any measure that discourages the most talented people in society from studying medicine in order to serve society.

Signatures by party: Labour 27, Liberal Democrat 17, Conservative 4, UUP 4, DUP 3, Labour/Co-operative 3.