Education and Inspections Bill

Amendment No. 210, in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Buscombe, addresses issues relating to the definition of sustainable travel. The definition in Clause 69 makes it clear that local authorities should not only consider travel to and from school but take a strategic view of arrangements supporting attendance at, for example, breakfast clubs and after-school activities; journeys between institutions during the day; and journeys to, from and between schools, further education institutions and other institutions where education or training might be delivered—and might increasingly be delivered in the future as we develop diplomas and extended schools. That duty requires local authorities to think about the needs of all pupils and young people of sixth form age, and is closely linked to environmental and health agendas. We recognise that this is a new burden, and we are providing additional funding of £4 million a year to local authorities in England to address it. Amendments Nos. 211B and 211C, spoken to by the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, are designed to introduce a duty on local authorities to arrange transport for disabled learners who attend further education institutions up to age 25. Amendment No. 211D would give local authorities the power to pay the reasonable travel expenses of such students. I will reflect further on the points made in the debate, but my advice is that local authorities already have such responsibilities. Under the Education Act 1996, as amended by the Education Act 2002, local authorities have a duty in relation to students in England aged 16 to 18 to prepare and publish a transport statement, specifying what arrangements for the provision of transport and of financial assistance they consider necessary to facilitate their attendance at schools and institutions of further education. Section 509AB of the Act further states that, in preparing its statement, a local authority shall have regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State. This guidance clearly states that, "““provision should also be made for students with learning difficulties and disabilities up to at least age 21, although local authorities should seriously consider extending this to age 25””." That is the position in the guidance and under legislation, but I will further consider the points that have been raised and will read Hansard closely in respect of them. Amendment No. 212, in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Buscombe, seeks to transfer transport duties from local authorities to the Learning and Skills Council. We believe that splitting off to the LSE responsibility for transport support for 16 year-old to 19 year-old students in further education from the wider transport responsibilities held by local authorities would not be efficient or effective. Keeping them integrated within local authorities is probably a better way forward.