Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department is having with (a) coach operators and (b) the Department for Education on ensuring that there is sufficient capacity within the commercial transport sector to transport children to and from school at the start of the next academic year as a result of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on those providers; and if he will make a statement.

Ministers and officials from my Department have regular meetings with representatives from the coach industry and other government departments on this topic. We continue to work closely with the coach sector to understand what the ongoing risks and issues are, and how these could be addressed.

The Secretary of State for Transport, The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Baroness Vere of Norbiton have met with ministers and officials from the Department of Education to discuss home to school transport. On 8 August, the Department for Transport announced a further funding package for bus operators with rolling funding at up to £27.3 million per week until a time when the funding is no longer needed. Also on 8 August the Department for Education announced a new £40 million funding package for local authorities to support home to school transport, including the provision of additional coach services.

In addition, the Department for Transport has provided support and grants totalling £7.25 million to local authorities to develop a Travel Demand Management Plan to understand school and work travel patterns and ensure there is safe and sufficient transport for schools.