§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government are taking to increase the safety of school buses; and what guidelines are given to schools with regard to bus and minibus safety in schools. [20634]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisFrom 1 October this year, all new buses, coaches and minibuses have to be fitted with seat belts. This change will make all bus and minibus travel in new vehicles safer.
Home to school transport is the responsibility of local education authorities. They must monitor the condition of vehicles used for transporting pupils from home to school, and report any safety defects to the Vehicle Inspectorate. Schools are responsible for arranging travel on educational visits, and we published good practice guidance in 1998 that advised that it is not normally appropriate to use buses without seat belts on long journeys. Supplementary advice on educational visits will be made available later this school term.