Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of transport costs on Knowsley students’ ability to access A-level education.

The Government knows how important affordable public transport services are in enabling young people to get to education. The Government has taken action to keep the cost of travel lower, for example, by introducing a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London. We confirmed at the Spending Review that this would be extended until March 2027.

As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated over £1 billion to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, this can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has been allocated £20.9 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, which could include introducing new fares initiatives to reduce the cost of bus travel for young people. This is already the case in Liverpool City Region, where a £2 bus fare cap is in place.