School Transport Costs (Hansard, 27 February 1975)

§ Mr. Beith
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the school transport costs, per

EXPENDITURE ON TRANSPORTING PUPILS BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL PER PUPIL ON ROLL: ENGLISH COUNTIES^*

£ Out-turn Prices

1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74

Bedfordshire … … … … 3.6 4.9 5.4 6.1 6.6

Berkshire … … … … … 3.1 3.8 3.8 4.0 4.4

Buckinghamshire … … … 3.2 4.0 4.9 5.0 5.7

Cambridgeshire … … … … 4.3 5.8 6.4 6.7 7.6

Cheshire … … … … … 3.1 3.8 4.6 3.7 4.4

Cornwall … … … … … 5.1 6.3 7.1 7.1 7.5

Cumberland … … … … 5.8 5.0 6.3 6.8 7.6

Derbyshire … … … … 2.4 2.7 3.4 3.3 3.9

Devon … … … … … 7.6 9.1 10.3 11.2 12.6

Dorset … … … … … 5.3 6.1 7.3 7.5 8.6

Durham … … … … … 2.5 2.9 3.4 2.6 4.0

Essex … … … … … 3.4 4.0 4.6 5.1 5.4

Gloucestershire … … … … 3.3 3.7 4.0 4.0 5.1

Hampshire … … … … 2.8 3.5 3.6 3.9 4.4

Herefordshire … … … … 6.6 7.6 8.4 9.4 10.7

Hertfordshire … … … … 2.7 3.6 4.4 4.8 5.6

Huntingdon … … … … 3.7 4.2 4.9 5.1 5.8

Isles of Scilly … … … … 3.1 2.8 3.0 3.6 5.9

Isle of Wight … … … … 3.3 4.1 5.6 6.4 7.1

Kent … … … … … 3.0 3.5 4.0 5.3 5.0

Lancashire … … … … 1.8 2.1 2.6 2.3 2.9

Leicestershire … … … … 3.5 4.2 4.5 5.0 5.5

Lincolnshire-Holland … … … 4.2 5.1 6.4 7.1 N/A

Lincolnshire-Kesteven … … … 4.5 5.3 5.6 5.9

Lincolnshire-Lindsey … … … 3.9 4.4 4.9 5.2

Norfolk … … … … … 4.4 4.9 5.7 6.2 7.3

Northamptonshire … … … 3.4 4.3 5.2 5.4 7.0

Northumberland … … … … 3.3 3.7 3.9 4.5 5.9

Nottinghamshire … … … … 2.3 2.7 3.3 3.3 3.6

Oxfordshire … … … … 4.1 4.4 4.6 4.7 5.7

Rutland … … … … … 6.3 6.9 7.2 7.6 N/A

Shropshire … … … … 4.6 5.3 6.0 5.9 6.7

Somerset … … … … … 5.2 6.4 7.7 9.0 10.1

Staffordshire … … … … 2.5 2.8 3.3 3.2 3.3

Suffolk-East … … … … 4.9 6.0 7.4 8.2 9.6

Suffolk-West … … … … 6.0 6.8 7.5 N/A 10.1

Surrey … … … … … 2.9 3.7 4.6 4.8 5.7

Sussex-East … … … … 3.5 3.9 4.8 5.0 5.2

Sussex-West … … … … 2.3 3.6 4.3 5.1 5.4

Warwickshire … … … … 3.1 3.9 3.8 4.3 4.6

Westmorland … … … … 5.5 7.1 7.6 8.2 9.7

Wiltshire … … … … … 3.5 4.5 4.7 5.1 5.5

Worcestershire … … … … 3.6 4.6 5.0 5.2 5.4

Yorkshire-East … … … … 4.5 4.9 6.8 5.5 6.6

Yorkshire-North … … … 5.7 6.3 6.8 7.1 7.9

Yorkshire-West … … … … 2.6 3.1 3.5 3.6 4.0

^* Data relates to maintained primary and secondary schools.

§ Mr. Hicks
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total cost in England and Wales of providing school transport in order to comply with existing statutory limits; and what is the equivalent cost for Cornwall.

§ Mr. Armstrong
My Department does not collect information in the form requested. In 1973–74, the latest year for which figures are available, the total
230W
head of children in school, for each English county education authority in each of the last five years.

§ Mr. Armstrong
The information is as follows:
expenditure on school transport in England and Wales was £45.1 million. This included expenditure under local education authorities' discretionary powers. Expenditure on school transport in Cornwall, during the same period and on the same basis, was £539,948. A survey conducted in respect of the financial year 1971–72 showed that at that time about 90 per cent. of all school 231W transport expenditure by local education authorities in England and Wales was incurred under their statutory obligations; for Cornwall the figure was about 96 per cent. Many local education authorities have recently reduced their discretionary provision of school transport.

EXPENDITURE ON TRANSPORTING PUPILS BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL PER PUPIL ON ROLL: ENGLISH COUNTIES^*
£ Out-turn Prices
						1969–70	1970–71	1971–72	1972–73	1973–74
Bedfordshire	…	…	…	…	3.6	4.9	5.4	6.1	6.6
Berkshire	…	…	…	…	…	3.1	3.8	3.8	4.0	4.4
Buckinghamshire	…	…	…	3.2	4.0	4.9	5.0	5.7
Cambridgeshire	…	…	…	…	4.3	5.8	6.4	6.7	7.6
Cheshire	…	…	…	…	…	3.1	3.8	4.6	3.7	4.4
Cornwall	…	…	…	…	…	5.1	6.3	7.1	7.1	7.5
Cumberland	…	…	…	…	5.8	5.0	6.3	6.8	7.6
Derbyshire	…	…	…	…	2.4	2.7	3.4	3.3	3.9
Devon	…	…	…	…	…	7.6	9.1	10.3	11.2	12.6
Dorset	…	…	…	…	…	5.3	6.1	7.3	7.5	8.6
Durham	…	…	…	…	…	2.5	2.9	3.4	2.6	4.0
Essex	…	…	…	…	…	3.4	4.0	4.6	5.1	5.4
Gloucestershire	…	…	…	…	3.3	3.7	4.0	4.0	5.1
Hampshire	…	…	…	…	2.8	3.5	3.6	3.9	4.4
Herefordshire	…	…	…	…	6.6	7.6	8.4	9.4	10.7
Hertfordshire	…	…	…	…	2.7	3.6	4.4	4.8	5.6
Huntingdon	…	…	…	…	3.7	4.2	4.9	5.1	5.8
Isles of Scilly	…	…	…	…	3.1	2.8	3.0	3.6	5.9
Isle of Wight	…	…	…	…	3.3	4.1	5.6	6.4	7.1
Kent	…	…	…	…	…	3.0	3.5	4.0	5.3	5.0
Lancashire	…	…	…	…	1.8	2.1	2.6	2.3	2.9
Leicestershire	…	…	…	…	3.5	4.2	4.5	5.0	5.5
Lincolnshire-Holland	…	…	…	4.2	5.1	6.4	7.1	N/A
Lincolnshire-Kesteven	…	…	…	4.5	5.3	5.6	5.9
Lincolnshire-Lindsey	…	…	…	3.9	4.4	4.9	5.2
Norfolk	…	…	…	…	…	4.4	4.9	5.7	6.2	7.3
Northamptonshire	…	…	…	3.4	4.3	5.2	5.4	7.0
Northumberland	…	…	…	…	3.3	3.7	3.9	4.5	5.9
Nottinghamshire	…	…	…	…	2.3	2.7	3.3	3.3	3.6
Oxfordshire	…	…	…	…	4.1	4.4	4.6	4.7	5.7
Rutland	…	…	…	…	…	6.3	6.9	7.2	7.6	N/A
Shropshire	…	…	…	…	4.6	5.3	6.0	5.9	6.7
Somerset	…	…	…	…	…	5.2	6.4	7.7	9.0	10.1
Staffordshire	…	…	…	…	2.5	2.8	3.3	3.2	3.3
Suffolk-East	…	…	…	…	4.9	6.0	7.4	8.2	9.6
Suffolk-West	…	…	…	…	6.0	6.8	7.5	N/A	10.1
Surrey	…	…	…	…	…	2.9	3.7	4.6	4.8	5.7
Sussex-East	…	…	…	…	3.5	3.9	4.8	5.0	5.2
Sussex-West	…	…	…	…	2.3	3.6	4.3	5.1	5.4
Warwickshire	…	…	…	…	3.1	3.9	3.8	4.3	4.6
Westmorland	…	…	…	…	5.5	7.1	7.6	8.2	9.7
Wiltshire	…	…	…	…	…	3.5	4.5	4.7	5.1	5.5
Worcestershire	…	…	…	…	3.6	4.6	5.0	5.2	5.4
Yorkshire-East	…	…	…	…	4.5	4.9	6.8	5.5	6.6
Yorkshire-North	…	…	…	5.7	6.3	6.8	7.1	7.9
Yorkshire-West	…	…	…	…	2.6	3.1	3.5	3.6	4.0
^* Data relates to maintained primary and secondary schools.