The responsibility for post-16 transport support lies with local authorities. The authorities have a legal duty to set out in a transport statement the arrangements they consider necessary to enable young people to attend post-16 education. The Department provides statutory guidance to local authorities on how they should fulfil this duty. The guidance explains that local authorities are required to consider local circumstances and the needs of students in their area when developing their policies and to consult education and training providers among others. It is available at:

http://tinyurl.com/acn5cxt

The Department does not provide guidance to bus operators but Ministers and officials at the Department

for Transport are liaising with the industry to encourage it to improve concessionary fare deals for young people.

The responsibility for post-16 transport support lies with local authorities. The authorities have a legal duty to set out in a transport statement the arrangements they consider necessary to enable young people to attend post-16 education. The Government recognises that some students find it difficult to pay for education-related costs, and this is one of the reasons why it introduced the 16-19 Bursary Fund. Local authorities and providers are encouraged to work together to ensure that post-16 transport support, and the 16-19 Bursary fund are used effectively together to help meet transport costs. The Department for Education has commissioned an independent three-year evaluation of the 16-19 Bursary Fund, which will conclude at the end of 2014.

Raising the participation age does not mean young people have to remain in school. They will have a range of options for fulfilling their duty to participate including through an Apprenticeship, full time education or work with part-time training alongside. The Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has not discussed this directly with the Secretary of State for Transport, the right hon. Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), but discussions have taken place between other members of the ministerial team and between officials in both Departments.