Facts

Boris Johnson told MPs at PMQs that his government has “restored the nurses’ bursary”. 

This refers to legislation that was introduced in 1968 and provided a financial allowance to people who were studying healthcare, medical, dental or social work courses.

It is true that the government will offer a new educational grant of £5,000 per year (increasing to £8,000 in some cases) for all nursing students on courses from September 2020.

However this falls significantly short of the bursary system previously scrapped by the Conservative Party. Under the system Johnson is referring to, nursing students will graduate with up to £60,000 of debt. 

Verdict

Johnson’s claim was misleading. Bursaries had not been fully restored. His full statement remains on the Commons record in defiance of the Ministerial Code.