Memorandum sent to members of the action group

From: Miss Claire Barker

Private Secretary to Nicholas Soames MP

Date: 9th November 2005

Re: St Paul’s Transport Action Group

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I am writing on behalf of Mr Soames, as he is currently recovering from pneumonia, to thank you for your letter in support of the St Paul’s Transport Action Group.

I have conveyed the points you have raised to Mr Soames and in his absence from the office he has asked me to respond on his behalf and to express his support for your case.

As you may be aware Mr Soames has already made the strongest representations on many occasions now on behalf of his constituents to Robert Back, Director of Education at West Sussex County Council and he is very concerned that this matter remains unresolved.

Upon receipt of your letter I contacted District Councillor Paddy Henry to seek clarification of the current position. Mr Henry drew my attention to the agreement drawn up in 2000 which makes no reference to a “transitional arrangement”. I have updated Mr Soames on my conversation and he has asked me to contact Mr Back to seek a full explanation as to why the Committee’s agreement is being undermined particularly as Councillor Henry stressed that this matter was dealt with in detail prior to the transfer.

Whilst Mr Soames fully appreciates the financial pressures on the County Council he is very concerned over the way that this matter has been handled and above all that the proposed alternative route will take nearly two hours which raises safety issues.

Mr Soames is aware that the recently formed working party has its first meeting on the 18th November and he sincerely hopes that the Council will examine every possibility to ensure that a sensible and sustainable transport route can be agreed.

Mr Soames will of course ensure that you receive a copy of the Director’s response to his representations but in the meantime I thought it would be helpful to clarify the legislative position.

Where a denominational school has been designated as the nearest suitable school and it is beyond the statutory walking distance the LEA must provide free transport. Where a pupil lives closer to a non-denominational school, the LEA will provide free transport to a denominational school if they consider that transport is necessary, and they may otherwise provide assistance with travel costs. This is an area where LEAs exercise local discretion, taking into account the religious beliefs of parents and local circumstances. A growing number of LEAs have introduced school transport charges for pupils attending denominational schools. Some LEAs have withdrawn home-school transport to denominational schools. It is for each authority to decide whether and how to exercise its discretionary powers to offer free or subsidised transport to pupils not entitled to statutory free transport. The increasing cost of statutory provision has meant that discretionary provision has been decreasing. LEAs must publish annually their policies on free and discretionary transport.

On the 14th October, 2004 the Government published the School Transport Bill . The Bill fell prior to the General Election.