HC Deb 22 October 1953 vol 518 cc2129-30
15 and 16. Mr. Lewis

asked the Minister of Education (1) if she is aware of the inconvenience and difficulties caused to many of the parents in West Ham at her instruction to the local authority to withdraw the cheap travel voucher to children attending schools a long distance away from their home; and whether she will restore this privilege to those concerned;

(2) the amount of money it is expected will be saved by her instruction to the West Ham Council to withdraw the cheap travel voucher to certain pupils attending schools a long distance from their homes.

Miss Horsbrugh

I have told the West Ham local education authority that I must disallow for grant expenditure on transport for senior pupils living less than 3 miles from school, which is the walking distance laid down in Section 39 (5) of the Act. I understand that in consequence the authority have ceased to incur such expenditure and that the saving is expected to be £1,900 in a full year.

My decision follows the policy announced in paragraph 5 of Circular 242, a copy of which I am sending to the hon. Member: the probable difficulties reported to me do not seem so great as to justify exceptional treatment for West Ham. I am, therefore, not prepared to alter my decision.

Mr. Lewis

Is the right hon. Lady aware that the West Ham Council carried this on up to the time when this Government came into office, and that her decision causes great inconvenience and difficulty to mothers whose children have to cross main roads, where there is great danger; and that the money which is saved is negligible in comparison with the potential loss of life of such children? As some of the children have to cross the main Barking by-pass, cannot she restore this facility?

Miss Horsbrugh

I have always said that while keeping to the general rule for all authorities, I am willing to look into any particular difficulty in any particular area.

Mr. J. T. Price

Is the right hon. Lady aware that in my constituency a situation exists, of which I will send her particulars, under which secondary school children are being refused payment of travelling expenses to the nearest secondary school available to them on the ground that the fare to a secondary school which is further away is cheaper than that on the service nearer to the school? Will she look into the matter if I give her particulars?

Miss Horsbrugh

Certainly. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will take the matter up with the local education authority to see why this is, and then I shall be delighted to look into it.

Mr. Lewis

Will the right hon. Lady bear in mind that because of the cuts which she has made in the educational grants to West Ham in the supply and building of new schools, children have now to cross the main Barking by pass, along which huge lorries travel to and from the docks? In those circumstances it is vital that these children should have free transport.

Miss Horsbrugh

My Department have had, I know, discussions with the West Ham local education authority. I have always said that if any authority can show that a route is particularly dangerous, exceptional arrangements can be made. I do not know whether there are exceptional difficulties which the West Ham authority have been able to show.