HC Deb 26 October 1977 vol 936 c821W
Mr. Cockcroft

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether travel grants for pupils living several miles from the schools to which they have been allocated are discretionary to local authorities.

Miss Margaret Jackson:

A local authority must make arrangements for the free transport of a pupil to and from school if the pupil is of compulsory school age, his or her home is outside the statutory walking distance—defined as two miles for those under 8 years of age and three miles for older pupils—and the authority has not offered the pupil a place at a school nearer home. If a pupil is not so entitled to free transport, an authority may, at its discretion, pay the whole or any part, as it thinks fit, of the reasonable travelling expenses to and from school.