Hutchison Paul: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Hutchison Paul: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:655;Page:4451] 
7.  
Dr PAUL HUTCHISON (National—Hunua) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: What has been the response to the Government’s voluntary bonding scheme for graduate doctors nurses and midwives? 
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) 
: 
 In February the Government announced the launch of its voluntary bonding scheme offering student-loan write-offs or cash payments for doctors nurses and midwives to work in a number of hard-to-staff specialities and locations. We expected up to 100 doctors and 250 midwives and nurses combined to apply for the scheme or 350 in total. In fact we have received over double that number of registrations—893 in total. 
Dr Paul Hutchison 
: What decisions have been made as to how many of these 893 health professionals who have registered an interest will be accepted given that that is over double the number anticipated? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: The Government has decided that it will confirm all applications under the voluntary bonding scheme and we will be writing to every one of the 893 doctors nurses and midwives accordingly. The Government has made the decision to accept over double the number initially expected because we want to further encourage our young doctors nurses and midwives to stay in this country. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: In congratulating the Minister on that initiative can I also ask him to acknowledge his giving with one hand and taking away with the other in respect of his Budget’s slashing of $98 million worth of scholarships in respect of which the New Zealand Medical Students’ Association said: “With fewer scholarships available to students we’re only going to see higher levels of student debt. Debt has consistently been shown to have an adverse impact on the New Zealand medical workforce.”? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: I do not think that member should be so disingenuous on that issue. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I understand that the Minister may have had a long week but it is only Thursday and I really implore you to ask him to address the question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The dilemma I say to the honourable member in all good faith is that it was difficult to discern the question so it is very difficult for me. I have demonstrated I am prepared to ask Ministers to answer questions where they are clear. But it was more a statement that the Minister responded to than a question so I fear I cannot assist the member further on that. 
Dr Paul Hutchison 
: Is this the final size and coverage of the voluntary bonding scheme; if not what other changes might be made? 
Hon Paula Bennett 
: That’s a very good question. 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: Yes that is a very good question. There will be another intake of the scheme next year which will mean even more young graduate doctors nurses and midwives will be offered student-loan write-offs or cash payments to stay in the country. When first announcing the scheme the Government said that the hard-to-staff areas would change over time to meet the changing needs. I think it is very important to be clear that in the significant announcement made today there are no guarantees that all applicants will qualify for a payment or write-off at the end of their 3 to 5 years; that depends on how they manage their careers within the positions available in the country. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: When the Minister heard the response of the New Zealand Medical Students’ Association to his Budget slashing $98 million in scholarships which was that that would have an adverse impact on the New Zealand medical workforce what was his response? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: There has been no slashing of scholarships within the health sector. But it does not surprise me that that member would quote those figures because in the select committee yesterday she was talking about a table that told about a whole lot of cuts in the health system. It was actually a table that stated that that was the extra money that has been voted over the last few years.