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School Transport is New Stealth Tax, Say Lib Dems

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The School Transport Bill, which completed its passage through the Commons in December will introduce a massive stealth tax on working families in Tynedale with school age children, research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

The Bill will, for the first time, introduce measures to charge children for using school buses on trips over 3 miles.

Andrew Duffield

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Education & Skills

This will apply to all children currently not eligible for free school meals and could cost parents over £212 million nationally. Across the North East it could leave families £9.3m worse off.

Hexham Parliamentary Candidate for the Liberal Democrats, Andrew Duffield, said: "We have already had a decision from Labour-run Northumberland County Council to charge over-16s for school transport, hitting families of A level students.

"Now the Government has given the green light to the County to charge for all pupils transport needs. This will have a real impact on families across the county, especially given the proposals to close middle schools which would cause greater numbers of children to travel further to access their schools."

He added: "The Government continues to undermine the principle of free education. This Bill makes access to good schools a lottery based on the size of parents purses rather than the child's educational needs. The Liberal Democrats have tabled a Parliamentary motion to scrap these charges and will campaign to keep school transport free."

22 December 2004

Email : locallibdems@hotmail.com

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