HC Deb 22 May 1979 vol 967 cc851-3
3. Mr. Hal Miller

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has for reforming the present rules governing the provision of school transport.

10. Mr. Temple-Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to abolish or change the application of statutory walking distances to the availability of free school transport.

The Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science (Mr. Neil Macfarlane)

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State will be considering the arrangements for home-to-school transport in the light of the attempts which have been made during the past decade to find a more acceptable scheme.

Mr. Miller

I congratulate my hon. Friend on his appointment. At the same time, may I ask him to accept that there is widespread concern throughout the country about the extent of the anomalies under the present system and also the change in conditions on our roads and public safety which amount to a difference in kind, and that, therefore, there is a reason why the present rules should be re-examined? May I refer him to the working party set up by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister when she was Secretary of State for Education?

Mr. Macfarlane

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his kind comments in the opening part of his observations. Of course, the Hodges committee to which he referred was set up in 1973 by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. For that reason, and because of the other initiative which the previous Administration took within recent months, my right hon. and learned Friend wants to have as close a look as possible at the present arrangements. My hon. Friend must understand that the local authorities and passenger transport undertakings will have to operate under any new arrangements. It is right that they, as well as parents and others likely to be affected, should be consulted about any possible alternatives.

Mr. Temple-Morris

Is my hon. Friend aware that during the last Parliament, when a number of questions were asked on this matter by Opposition Members, there was a considerable degree of unanimity between both sides that there should be some reform? Is he further aware that in the obvious state of disagreement that there will be on this subject between local authorities, some of which are getting something for nothing whilst others are responsible for large areas which have to pay, this is a classic case for Government action? Is my hon. Friend prepared to give some sort of lead?

Mr. Macfarlane

When my hon. Friend says that some authorities are getting something for nothing, I do not think that that is strictly accurate. Many authorities have a wide degree of variation in the rules which are applied. But we shall be considering whether any practical changes in local education authority duties and powers would lead to a more equitable distribution of the £100 million or so currently being spent annually on the provision of free school transport. We shall be reviewing this as soon as possible.

Mr. Cryer

Does not the Minister accept that the last Government did considerable work to provide a more equitable scheme—a flat fare scheme—for school transport? Cannot he build on that and, for example, use some of the money which he proposes to use to subsidise grants to independent schools for a better school transport scheme to help mitigate the business of the application of the rules by Tory-controlled local authorities such as Bradford?

Mr. Macfarlane

It is a well-known fact that ratepayers in the hon. Member's own constituency area are subsidising this provision to the tune of more than £5 million a year. If the hon. Gentleman wants to spend the taxpayers' money to any greater extent than was done under the previous Administration, he will be increasing expenditure by some £50 million per annum.