Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Catherine McKinnell and Chris Ward(1 week, 3 days ago)
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Catherine McKinnell
I absolutely take on board the issues that my hon. Friend raises. Where people take on the responsibility of adoption, that is to be applauded and supported as far as possible. The Government are obviously considering all the financial matters in a very difficult context and making some difficult decisions, but we will continue to bear in mind the issues that he raises. We want to maximise the number of children who can access the fund and get the vital support that is needed.
Chris Ward (Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven) (Lab)
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Catherine McKinnell and Chris Ward(6 months ago)
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Chris Ward (Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven) (Lab)
The current national guidelines on school transport mean that children who live less than 3 miles from school do not get any support in Government funding. In my constituency, that means that some of the most deprived kids either have to walk an hour and a half a day to and from school, or their already struggling families have to find the money for their transport. Will the Minister meet me to talk about this and see whether the 3-mile limit can be changed?
Catherine McKinnell
We are committed to removing barriers to opportunity for every child. No child should struggle to access education because of a lack of transport. We are keen to understand how well the transport system is working for children accessing schooling, and I will happily meet my hon. Friend to discuss it further.