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18
Oct
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP tells Parliament home-to-school transport policy is leaving families in disarray
An MP has told Parliament that changes to school transport rules in North Yorkshire had thrown families into disarray.
Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, spoke this week in the House of Commons to call for an overhaul of home-to-school transport rules to ensure they better served rural areas.
Controversial changes, brought in by North Yorkshire Council, restrict free school transport to a child’s nearest school, rather than their catchment school.
He told Parliament:
Rural families across North Yorkshire, including those in villages such as Killinghall and Hampsthwaite in my constituency, have been left stranded by changes to home-to-school transport rules, with children living in the same villages now set to go to different schools and parents facing having to give up work to get them there.
Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on reforming school transport laws so that school transport properly serves areas like North Yorkshire? Will he perhaps pass that on to colleagues in the Department for Education?
In response to the questions, Sir Alan Campbell, Leader of the House, said the MP should seek a debate on the issue and put together the evidence to bring to the attention of ministers, who he said were “acutely aware of the cost of public and school transport”.
“I think that an opportunity to share experiences of that across the House would inform debate,” he added.
'Fair and affordable'
Critics say the policy change has removed real choice in education and created logistical and financial strain for parents.
But the council’s Conservative leadership say the change is needed to tackle the annual school transport bill of more than £50m.
Speaking after he addressed Parliament, Mr Gordon said:
“I’ve heard from countless families across local villages who have been thrown into distress, with some forced to give up work just to get their children to school.
“The policy change was thoughtless. The council’s communication has been chaotic, and the appeals process unfair. Families deserve better, and I will keep fighting for school transport that works for rural communities – not against them.”
North Yorkshire Council has said the changes aim to make the home-to-school transport policy “fair to all families, responsible and affordable”.
The council has stressed that rule changes bring the authority in line with statutory guidance and that the change is being introduced over a seven-year period, meaning it will initially only affect children starting primary or secondary school, or those moving house.
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