Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support SEND pupils who are over 16 with home-school transport provision in Surrey Heath constituency.

In Surrey Heath, post-16 transport support is provided under Surrey County Council's county-wide Post-16 Transport Policy Statement. Transport is not automatically free after age 16, but assistance may be available for eligible learners, including young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those aged 19 to 25 with an education, health and care plan. Eligibility is assessed against factors such as need, distance, accessibility and financial circumstances, and support may include travel passes, allowances or other travel assistance.

The 2026 SEND consultation recognised that some children and young people are required to travel long distances where suitable support is not available locally. The proposals aim to improve early support, strengthen mainstream inclusion and develop more consistent local provision through greater collaboration between education, health and local authority partners, helping more children and young people have their needs met closer to home and reducing reliance on longer-distance travel.