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School Transport

Volume 958: debated on Thursday 16 November 1978

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asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the annual cost to each region and island authority of providing pupils with free bus travel to and from school.

The information available does not distinguish between modes of travel. The provisional outturn of expenditure for 1977–78 on all travel between home and school is as follows:

£ At Outturn Prices
Borders537,597
Central702,184
Dumfries and Galloway721,733
Fife663,000
Grampian1,683,703
Highland1,061,298
Lothian1,594,646
Strathclyde4,852,289
Tayside943,848
Orkney204,065
Shetland213,000
Western Isles251,490
Total Scotland13,428,853

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the distance beyond which pupils are entitled to free bus travel to and from school in each region and island authority in Scotland.

The statutory walking distances are over two miles for children under the age of 8 and over three miles for all other children. The following authorities have exercised their discretion to reduce these limits to the extent shown:

Under 8Over 8
Fife22
Lothian22
All primaryAll seconddry
Strathclyde12
In addition the three islands areas apply shorter distances in winter and where there are special local circumstances, and Central region does so in parts of its area.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many pupils receive free bus travel to and from school in each region and island authority area.

The information is as follows:

Borders6,000
Central12,000
Dumfries and Galloway15,000
Fife13,000
Grampian24,000
Highland10,000
Lothian21,000
Strathclyde82,000
Tayside8,000
Orkney2,000
Shetland2,000
Western Isles2,000
The figures refer to the beginning of the present school session and are expressed to the nearest thousand.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received requesting Government action to provide all children with free travel to school; and, in the light of the wide support for this measure, if he will now make a statement on Government policy on the subject.

My right hon. Friend has received no recent representations in this behalf and he has no proposals under consideration at present to alter the existing arrangements for home to school transport.