To ask the Minister of Health what consideration has been given to changing the criteria for maintenance bursaries for medical students to being non-income assessed, in line with other UK regions.

Health and student finance are devolved matters. The financial support available to healthcare students varies across the regions of the UK, depending upon where the student is ordinarily resident. Policy reflects the resources available to each administration and their assessment of workforce supply priorities.

It is therefore up to the Northern Ireland Executive to determine its own policy in this area. The current medical student support arrangements in Northern Ireland compare very favourably with other parts of the UK, for example in the level of fees levied.

Moreover, the evidence available demonstrates that medical degree courses in Northern Ireland are extremely attractive and heavily oversubscribed which the vast majority of individuals see through to graduation.

I therefore have no plans to change the current support arrangements.