Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support the Government provides to help children with disabilities get to and from school.

Local authorities (LAs) have a statutory duty under section 508B of the Education Act 1996 to make travel arrangements to enable all eligible children of compulsory school age to attend their nearest suitable school. This includes provision for those whose special educational needs, disabilities (SEND) or mobility problem mean they could not reasonably be expected to walk to the school. LAs spend around £600 million every year on transport for pupils with SEND. The Department is currently reviewing home to school transport guidance to ensure it sets out LAs’ duties, particularly those relating to disabled pupils, as clearly as possible.

The Department is also providing councils with an additional £215 million over the next three years to invest in new places, and improve facilities for pupils with SEND.