HC Deb 12 November 1964 vol 701 cc1176-7
15. Mr. Clive Bossom

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will review the present statutory distance of three miles for transporting children to school with special regard to making the distances more flexible in certain rural areas.

Mr. Prentice

The present arrangements give local education authorities power to make special provision if they consider that local conditions justify it.

Mr. Bossom

Will the hon. Gentleman have a county by county survey carried out to see whether the arrangement can be made much more flexible, as was mentioned a minute ago, and could he ascertain whether the distances could be reduced to two miles and one mile? Is he aware that this has the backing of members of both the N.F.U. and the C.L.A., who are most worried about the situation at the moment because of the dangerous state of the roads in rural areas, which have no sidewalks, and also because of the drift of population from the countryside, which is partly due to this problem?

Mr. Prentice

I will bear in mind the suggestion about a survey, but I am sure the hon. Gentleman will recognise that the growing danger on the roads presents a problem which will not necessarily be solved simply by altering the statutory minimum distance involved. This is surely a matter which local education authorities ought urgently to be considering in relation to each school to ascertain whether danger in its vicinity demands of them any special measures on behalf of the children concerned.

Mr. Scott-Hopkins

Will the hon. Gentleman bear in mind that in rural areas there are other problems, especially where there is a heavy tourist industry in the summer months, and that there will be a need for the Government to help local education authorities to meet the increased costs involved?

Mr. Prentice

We will bear that in mind. I would point out that this is another example of the general proposition that I made to the House, that local problems vary so much that the right balance seems to be for a statutory minimum to be laid down with a discretionary power in the hands of each local education authority to go beyond that if local conditions make it necessary.

Mr. Paget

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind that this is not only a rural problem and that with new estates going up on the borders of some towns the journey to school becomes very dangerous in town areas and that something will have to be done about it?

Mr. Prentice

I will bear that in mind also, but I would point out that a blanket decision about a statutory minimum covering the whole country will not necessarily solve all the local problems which have to be looked at separately by the local education authorities.