Memorandum submitted by the National Assembly
for Wales (ST 35)
The Committee considered the draft School Transport
Bill on 28 April 2004. Members also considered the consultation
document published with the draft Bill. The draft Bill was introduced
by Jane Davidson AM, Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning.
Also present were officials from the Assembly's Department for
Training and Education and from the Transport Department.
In her introduction, the Minister made the following
points:
— The draft Bill was designed to address
the difficulties surrounding statutory walking distances and would
allow local education authorities (LEAs) to experiment with local
solutions for local problems;
— Every scheme would be subject to
extensive local consultation;
— The Bill would enable LEAs to charge
modest fares;
— The legislation would permit LEAs
to bid for pilot schemes from 2006;
— The Free School Meal (FSM) index
would be used as an indicator of pupils from low income families
in England but not in Wales; and
— It was hoped that LEAs would be imaginative
in their proposed pilot schemes.
Members made the following suggestions and observations:
— Scheme Objectives: Members were broadly
content with the objectives of the pilot school travel schemes,
subject to comments below;
— Variable Charges: the pilot schemes
would provide an opportunity to create zones so that pupils could
be charged different fares, depending on the length of their journey:
a similar system to that operated by the London underground. It
was felt that this might attract more pupils onto buses;
— Disincentives: if charges were levied
for transport that was previously free, then more parents might
decide to transport their children by car;
— Rural and Upper Valley Areas: travel
schemes should take account of the relatively large distances
travelled by pupils from rural and upper valley areas;
— Costs: the requirement for pilot
travel schemes to be cost neutral was too onerous and would inhibit,
rather than encourage, innovation. Funding should be provided
by the Welsh Assembly Government, to cover additional administration
costs for pilot schemes in Wales;
— Safety: the Bill should address fundamental
safety issues, such as the type and condition of buses used for
school transport and also the "three for two" concession,
which was considered to be an anachronism;
— Means Testing: this should be avoided,
if possible;
— Measuring Benefits: in assessing
the bids from LEAs, due account should be taken of how the benefits
of schemes could be measured: for example, in reducing the number
of cars dropping off and picking up pupils at the start and end
of the school day;
— "Out of School Hours" Activities:
travel schemes should take account of the needs of pupils attending
activities outside normal school hours;
— Guidance: Members considered it was
important that local authorities were given clear guidance, to
help them prepare their bids;
— Consultation Period; it was felt
that the consultation period should be extended, in the light
of the forthcoming local authority elections in England and Wales.
The Minister noted Members' comments, and undertook
to inform the Committee if there was any latitude in extending
the consultation period.
Members welcomed the opportunity to discuss
the draft Bill, and hoped that their comments would be taken into
account by the Welsh Assembly Government when drafting the final
Bill. The Committee will make provision in its forward work programme
to scrutinise the final Bill, in due course.
The Chair undertook to write to send a copy
of this report to the Minister, and also to the Chair of the Assembly's
Economic Development and Transport Committee, the Chair of the
Welsh Affairs Committee, the Chair of the House of Commons Select
Committee for Education and Skills, the Chair of the Select Committee
for Transport and the Secretary of State for Wales.
May 2004
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