POST-16 TRANSPORT TO SCHOOL AND COLLEGE IN NORTHUMBERLAND

That this House condemns the decision of the Northumberland County Council Labour administration to scrap free travel for post-16 students travelling long distances to and from school or college from September 2014 and replace it with charges ranging from £600 a year for council-provided transport to the full adult fare of £3,000 to £4,000 a year for students using public transport services, such as those travelling from Berwick-upon-Tweed to colleges in Newcastle; notes that this will have a damaging effect on the education and career prospects of many of the county's young people, particularly in rural and remote areas, will greatly increase the cost of living for families with teenagers and, with the leaving age rising to 18, will discriminate heavily against students from poor areas and their families; and calls on Northumberland County Council to reverse its decision and the Government to review national policy on support for post-16 students' travel costs.