SCHOOL TRANSPORT FOR DISABLED YOUNG PEOPLE

That this House recognises that disabled young people often have to travel further than other pupils to get the right education or college place; notes that they are less likely than other pupils to travel to school or college independently; expresses concern that as the law stands a young person is expected to be in school or training until the age of 18, but once they turn 16 they lose their school or college transport even if they stay on at the same school and their needs have not changed; further notes that problems with school and college transport sometimes mean that some disabled young people are unable to learn or to complete their education and that parents have had to give up their jobs to transport their children to school; acknowledges that some councils offer discretionary transport; regrets that an increasing number of these councils are cutting funding for discretionary transport as they try to balance the books; and calls on the Government to amend the law to make local authorities statutorily responsible for the provision of school and college transport for disabled young people aged between 16 and 18.