Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress the Government has made in addressing the Public Accounts Committee’s concerns about the “cliff edge” in transport provision for young people with special educational needs and disabilities when they move into post-16 education.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department recognises that transport can enable young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to participate in education and training, and that transport arrangements and costs vary between local areas. Local authorities are not under a general duty to provide free post-16 transport. However, they must make arrangements they consider necessary to facilitate attendance and publish these in annual transport policy statements.
The government does not plan to introduce a universal statutory entitlement. Instead, we are considering targeted options to improve awareness of available support, promote independent travel and improve access where transport is a barrier. This work responds to concerns such as the Public Accounts Committee’s findings about the post-16 “cliff edge”, as well as the effects of transport provision on participation, families and affordability.
The 16 to 19 bursary fund may be used to meet essential participation costs, including travel, with institutions assessing individual need. The department does not hold data identifying the number or proportion of students with SEND whose bursary awards are used specifically for transport costs.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the financial impact on families of disabled young people when the costs of post-16 transport are not met by local authorities, including the impact on parental employment.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department recognises that transport can enable young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to participate in education and training, and that transport arrangements and costs vary between local areas. Local authorities are not under a general duty to provide free post-16 transport. However, they must make arrangements they consider necessary to facilitate attendance and publish these in annual transport policy statements.
The government does not plan to introduce a universal statutory entitlement. Instead, we are considering targeted options to improve awareness of available support, promote independent travel and improve access where transport is a barrier. This work responds to concerns such as the Public Accounts Committee’s findings about the post-16 “cliff edge”, as well as the effects of transport provision on participation, families and affordability.
The 16 to 19 bursary fund may be used to meet essential participation costs, including travel, with institutions assessing individual need. The department does not hold data identifying the number or proportion of students with SEND whose bursary awards are used specifically for transport costs.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of variations between local authorities in the eligibility criteria and level of transport support available to 16 to 19-year-olds with SEND.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department recognises that transport can enable young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to participate in education and training, and that transport arrangements and costs vary between local areas. Local authorities are not under a general duty to provide free post-16 transport. However, they must make arrangements they consider necessary to facilitate attendance and publish these in annual transport policy statements.
The government does not plan to introduce a universal statutory entitlement. Instead, we are considering targeted options to improve awareness of available support, promote independent travel and improve access where transport is a barrier. This work responds to concerns such as the Public Accounts Committee’s findings about the post-16 “cliff edge”, as well as the effects of transport provision on participation, families and affordability.
The 16 to 19 bursary fund may be used to meet essential participation costs, including travel, with institutions assessing individual need. The department does not hold data identifying the number or proportion of students with SEND whose bursary awards are used specifically for transport costs.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of post-16 transport provision on participation in education and training among young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department recognises that transport can enable young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to participate in education and training, and that transport arrangements and costs vary between local areas. Local authorities are not under a general duty to provide free post-16 transport. However, they must make arrangements they consider necessary to facilitate attendance and publish these in annual transport policy statements.
The government does not plan to introduce a universal statutory entitlement. Instead, we are considering targeted options to improve awareness of available support, promote independent travel and improve access where transport is a barrier. This work responds to concerns such as the Public Accounts Committee’s findings about the post-16 “cliff edge”, as well as the effects of transport provision on participation, families and affordability.
The 16 to 19 bursary fund may be used to meet essential participation costs, including travel, with institutions assessing individual need. The department does not hold data identifying the number or proportion of students with SEND whose bursary awards are used specifically for transport costs.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the number and proportion of students with special educational needs and disabilities who receive 16 to 19 Bursary Fund support towards transport costs.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department recognises that transport can enable young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to participate in education and training, and that transport arrangements and costs vary between local areas. Local authorities are not under a general duty to provide free post-16 transport. However, they must make arrangements they consider necessary to facilitate attendance and publish these in annual transport policy statements.
The government does not plan to introduce a universal statutory entitlement. Instead, we are considering targeted options to improve awareness of available support, promote independent travel and improve access where transport is a barrier. This work responds to concerns such as the Public Accounts Committee’s findings about the post-16 “cliff edge”, as well as the effects of transport provision on participation, families and affordability.
The 16 to 19 bursary fund may be used to meet essential participation costs, including travel, with institutions assessing individual need. The department does not hold data identifying the number or proportion of students with SEND whose bursary awards are used specifically for transport costs.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to commit to making transport provision for 16 to 19-year-old students with special educational needs and disabilities a statutory duty.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department recognises that transport can enable young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to participate in education and training, and that transport arrangements and costs vary between local areas. Local authorities are not under a general duty to provide free post-16 transport. However, they must make arrangements they consider necessary to facilitate attendance and publish these in annual transport policy statements.
The government does not plan to introduce a universal statutory entitlement. Instead, we are considering targeted options to improve awareness of available support, promote independent travel and improve access where transport is a barrier. This work responds to concerns such as the Public Accounts Committee’s findings about the post-16 “cliff edge”, as well as the effects of transport provision on participation, families and affordability.
The 16 to 19 bursary fund may be used to meet essential participation costs, including travel, with institutions assessing individual need. The department does not hold data identifying the number or proportion of students with SEND whose bursary awards are used specifically for transport costs.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of student loan borrowers in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland whose outstanding loan balance increased despite making regular repayments, broken down by repayment plan, in each of the last five years.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The table below shows the number of borrowers funded by Student Finance England whose loans had become liable for repayment and whose outstanding balance increased despite making regular repayments, because interest added during the financial year exceeded the amount repaid. The figures are rounded to the nearest thousand borrower and are shown by repayment plan for each of the last five financial years. A borrower may hold a loan of more than one type and therefore may be included in more than one plan category. Any outstanding balance, including accrued interest, is cancelled at the end of the loan term, with no detriment to the borrower.
| Financial Year | ||||
Repayment Plan | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 |
Plan 1 | 116,000 | 272,000 | 484,000 | 431,000 | 340,000 |
Plan 2 | 628,000 | 971,000 | 1,302,000 | 1,538,000 | 1,592,000 |
Plan 3 | 75,000 | 113,000 | 152,000 | 167,000 | 158,000 |
Plan 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Over the past five years, the total number of borrowers with Plan 2 and 3 repayments plans with loans which have become liable to repay has increased each year.
For this analysis, a borrower is considered to have made regular repayments if they have made at least four repayments during the financial year. This may include borrowers who ceased making repayments, or who ceased being liable to repay, part-way through the year. Fewer borrowers would have seen their balance increase while making repayments in all twelve months.
Figures are for borrowers funded by Student Finance England who were domiciled in England when they took out their loan and studied at a UK university, including those in the devolved administrations. Borrowers may now be living anywhere in the UK. Education is a devolved matter and the devolved governments are responsible for providing equivalent figures for borrowers who were domiciled in their nation at the point of loan application.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to evaluate the implementation of age-appropriate suicide prevention and mental health education within Relationships, Sex and Health Education in schools; and what support is available to schools to ensure staff deliver that content safely.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum includes content on mental wellbeing, resilience, recognising signs of poor mental health, and how to access support. Schools are responsible for determining how this content is taught in an age-appropriate manner and for ensuring staff are appropriately supported. We have been clear that schools should consult mental health professionals and put in place high quality, evidence-based staff training before addressing suicide directly with secondary aged pupils, to ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to do it safely.
We do not monitor provision of RSHE, but the subjects are considered in Ofsted inspections under the personal development judgement. Inspectors make a professional judgement on whether the school is providing appropriate and effective teaching and delivering against the requirements in the RSHE statutory guidance.
More broadly, the department is investing in mental health support for children and young people through measures including Mental Health Support Teams and senior mental health lead training.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2025 to Question 78154 on Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, what assessment her Department has been made of the potential economic impact of funding additional therapies beyond the fair access limit on local authorities; and if her Department holds data on how many families require therapy beyond the fair access limit.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department continues to monitor and assess the impact of the changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) and is engaging with stakeholders. Decisions to fund additional therapy beyond the fair access limit rest with individual local authorities.
This financial year, we have invested £50 million in the ASGSF, giving adopted and kinship children access to therapeutic services that stabilise placements and address complex needs.
The government has introduced the Families First Partnership programme, with an extra £547 million, bringing total funding to £2.4 billion over the next three years. We are also investing nearly £1.5 billion to improve family services and early years education, including £500 million for Best Start Family Hubs between 2026 and 2029. Local authorities should decide how best to use these resources to support adoptive and kinship families.
The department does not collect data on how many families require therapy beyond the fair access limit.
Asked by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of local authorities' ability to deal with increased levels of demand for therapy above the Adoption Support and Special Guardianship Support Fund fair access limit.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department continues to monitor and assess the impact of the changes to the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) and is engaging with stakeholders.
In the current financial year, the department has invested £50 million in the ASGSF, ensuring that adopted and kinship children may have access to therapeutic services designed to stabilise placements and address complex needs.
The government has launched the Families First Partnership programme, providing an additional £547 million, and bringing total funding to £2.4 billion over the next three years. We are also investing nearly £1.5 billion to strengthen family services and early years education, including £500 million for Best Start Family Hubs between 2026 and 2029.
Local authorities are responsible for determining how best to deploy these resources to meet increased demand for therapeutic support beyond the fair access limit.