§ Mr. Patrick Maitlandasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has considered the complaints by parents living in the Mains West area of East Kilbride about the delay in providing a bus service to take their children to school owing to a dispute between Scottish Motor Traction and Messrs. Laurie as to which firm should provide the service; whether he has considered written representations in this regard forwarded to the Scottish Office by the hon. Member for Lanark; and how many parents have, so far, withheld their children from school in protest.
§ Mr. J. StuartYes. I have been considering these complaints in consultation with the Lanarkshire Education Authority. Arrangements have been made whereby no child in the district has to walk more than one-and-a-half miles to school. This is well within the statutory limit and the education authority are under no obligation to provide school transport. I understand that the Western S.M.T. Company's application for a licence to operate in the Mains West district of East Kilbride is under consideration by the licensing authority for public service vehicles, and that the hearing will be completed very shortly. No parents have withheld their children from school in protest against the present lack of a bus service.