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Written Question
Schools: Bus Services
Tuesday 14th November 2023

Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help families with the cost of school bus fares in (a) Bournemouth East constituency and (b) the South West.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Department’s school travel policy aims to make sure that no child is prevented from accessing education due to a lack of transport. Local Authorities must arrange free home to school travel for children of compulsory school age who attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or because the nature of the route means it would be unsafe for them to do so. There are extended rights to free travel for children from low income families.

Most central Government funding for home to school travel is made available to Local Authorities through the Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) administered by the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). DLUHC will bring forward proposals for the LGFS 2024/25 in the usual way later in the year. Local Government spending will be carefully considered to ensure councils can continue to deliver vital services.

The Department provides grant funding to Local Authorities as a contribution towards the cost of extended rights travel for children from low income families. This is just under £45.8 million in the 2023/23 financial year. The Department will shortly be calculating Local Authorities’ allocations of this grant for 2024/25.

Fares and concessions on public transport are set by transport operators and it is for them to decide whether and how to implement any concessions for children travelling to school. The Government is offering support to help people with costs such as childcare, bills and transport. The Government’s dedicated website provides more information about cost of living support, which is available at: https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/.

Select Committee
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Seventy-fifth report from Session 2022-23

Government Response Feb. 14 2024

Committee: Public Accounts Committee

Found: Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Seventy-fifth report

Select Committee
Third Report - Financial distress in local authorities

Report Feb. 01 2024

Committee: Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee (Department: Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities)

Found: Third Report - Financial distress in local authorities HC 56 Report

Departmental Publication (News and Communications)
Cabinet Office

Mar. 18 2024

Source Page: Three new Civil Service Commissioners appointed
Document: Three new Civil Service Commissioners appointed (webpage)

Found: Commercial, Trade and International at the Government Legal Department (2020 - 2023).

National Audit Office
Money and tax - Apr. 10 2024
Good practice guide: fraud and error reporting (webpage)

Found: is delivering value for money InsightsLearning and best practice to help people across government and

Deposited Papers

Nov. 20 2008

Source Page: list of attendees at the International Experts Meeting on Electric Vehicles, held on the 27 and 28 of October 2008. 2 p.
Document: DEP2008-2801.xls (Excel)

Found: DirectorAxon AutomotiveDavis, GrahamPlanning System Improvement DivisionCommunities and Local GovernmentDe

Deposited Papers

Nov. 18 2008

Source Page: List showing the name of attendees to the International Experts' Meeting on Electric Vehicles - 27-28 October, 2008. 2 p.
Document: DEP2008-2745.xls (Excel)

Found: DirectorAxon AutomotiveDavis, GrahamPlanning System Improvement DivisionCommunities and Local GovernmentDe

Deposited Papers

Jan. 10 2011

Source Page: Table showing copies of each publication which Department for Communities and Local Government subscribes it received in (a) June, (b) July and (c) August 2010. 8 p.
Document: DEP2011-0021.xls (Excel)

Found: Table showing copies of each publication which Department for Communities and Local Government subscribes

Deposited Papers
Cabinet Office

Jul. 01 2010

Source Page: List of ministerial responsibilities, including executive agencies and non-ministerial departments. July 2010. 100 p.
Document: DEP2010-1387.pdf (PDF)

Found: E ducation Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Secretary of State for

Deposited Papers

Mar. 22 2011

Source Page: Table showing budgetted national non-domestic rates collected by each local authority and funding received from Central Government Grants in Enngland, 2010-11.
Document: DEP2011-0511.xls (Excel)

Found: Table showing budgetted national non-domestic rates collected by each local authority and funding received