Rishi Sunak has called for changes to a controversial new school transport policy to ensure children in the Yorkshire Dales can travel to school safely.
The Richmond and Northallerton MP has urged North Yorkshire Council to act over a rule change which means pupils only get free transport to their nearest school rather than a catchment school.
The politician has made the call after meeting with campaigners who are concerned the policy could mean children from upper Swaledale and Wensleydale being bussed out of the county to Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria and Barnard Castle in County Durham, as well as across remote routes within North Yorkshire.
Mr Sunak says the high Pennine routes could be unsafe, particularly in winter.
He said: “No pupil should be put at risk whilst travelling to and from school.
“I am doing everything I can to make sure the council understands and acts upon the strength of feeling many parents in the Upper Dales have expressed to me.”
North Yorkshire Council has defended the policy saying no children will have to travel on dangerous routes with risk assessments carried out where necessary.
The authority says it spends £50m a year on home-to-school transport, with the costs more than doubling since 2018/19, and claims the new policy could save taxpayers up to £3m a year.
Council chiefs say the changes also mean the authority is in line with government guidelines.
The council adopted the new policy last year.
Transport to the nearest school, in addition to some other eligibility criteria, is the minimum required by law.
Traditionally, pupils from upper Swaledale and Wensleydale have been transported free to Richmond School or The Wensleydale School.
Mr Sunak said: “I understand what the risks might be and the potential routes are untenable in poor weather.”
He added that the Department for Education’s guidance to local authorities continues to grant the council discretionary powers to provide free or subsidised home-to-school travel beyond the minimum legal requirement.
This was reiterated by the Minister of State for Schools earlier this year and numerous councils across the country have used these discretionary powers to provide free home-to-school transport in a variety of different ways.
Mr Sunak said: “North Yorkshire Council should look to use these powers to make sure this new policy works for the unique geography of the Upper Dales/Swaledale.”
Mr Sunak said he had spoken to parents from the School Transport Action Group (STAG), as well as the leader of the council Cllr Carl Les and the executive member for education Cllr Annabel Wilkinson about the changes.
He is also due to have talks with Sir Stuart Carlton, director of children and young people’s services, North Yorkshire Council, and Amanda Newbold, assistant director for education and skills, to call for changes to the policy.
Reacting to the MPs involvement, a spokesperson for STAG the policy change was affecting families across North Yorkshire, not just the Yorkshire Dales.
“We know that parents from Barton, North Cowton and Gilling West for example have all been in touch with him with their own personal stories of how the school transport cuts are splitting up siblings and communities and resulting in more buses taking more routes.
“Mr Sunak needs to remember that this disruption is happening without any guarantee of real savings. We made clear that what’s needed is a wholesale rethink of the policy and an immediate amendment to the free school transport rules to bring catchment back. We ask again for Rishi’s help to make this happen.”
North Yorkshire Council confirmed officers were meeting Mr Sunak tomorrow.
A spokesperson said officers were looking forward to discussing the matter with him.
Concerns about the policy change have already been raised by other Nort Yorkshire MPs, including Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon, who has brought up the issue in the House of Commons twice in recent months.
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