Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what restrictions there are on the provision of free school, and other public, transport to children and young people who are from asylum-seeking families.

The department’s school travel policy aims to ensure that no child of compulsory school age is unable to access education because of a lack of transport. Children of families seeking asylum in the UK are eligible for free home to school travel on the same basis as UK citizens. Their immigration status is not taken into account.

Local authorities must arrange free travel to school for children aged 5 to 16 who attend their nearest school and cannot walk there due to the distance, route safety, or as a result of special educational needs, disability or mobility problems. There are additional rights to free travel for low-income families aimed at helping them exercise school choice.

Fares, concessions and operating criteria for public transport are set by transport operators themselves. The criteria, including the age at which any discount or concessions are made available for children and young people, are decided locally.