Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to revise school transport contracts to reflect the rising cost of diesel.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Local authorities are responsible for arranging home to school travel for eligible children. They deliver their duty through a mix of in-house services, passes for free travel on public transport and contracts with private transport operators. Such contracts are a matter for the council and the operator.
The government is taking action to mitigate cost pressures where possible. We have extended the 5p fuel duty cut and petrol stations in the UK are being supplied as normal. My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced over £100 million additional funding for the bus sector and is helping children travel for free by bus this August on participating local buses.