Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect on local authorities of planned policies to extend the rules governing transport for children in full-time education or undertaking an apprenticeship to 16 to 18 year olds.

There are no planned policies to extend the rules governing school transport for children of compulsory school age to cover students in post-16 education or training.

The statutory responsibility for transport to education or training for 16- to-18-year-olds rests with local authorities, who are expected to make appropriate decisions bearing in mind local circumstances. Arrangements made by authorities do not have to include free or subsidised transport, although most young people do have access to a discount or concession on local bus or train travel, either from their local authority, transport provider, school or college.