Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his oral contribution of 2 July 2020, Official Report, column 513, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of a public consultation on proposed changes to free travel to educational establishments for 16 to 18 year olds in London.

The £1.6 billion Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement to enable Transport for London (TfL) to continue operating services contained a series of conditions to facilitate safe travel on public transport in London, including the temporary suspension of free travel for under 18s.

The Department is working closely with TfL, the Department for Education and London Councils on how the temporary suspension can be operationalised, including the nature of any consultation with key stakeholders.