Saturday, May 20, 2006

Press Release from Mike Penning MP

MPs call for County Council to maintain free transport for faith based schools.

Hertfordshire’s nine Conservative MPs have joined forces to call for the County Council to maintain free transport for Hertfordshire children attending faith based schools.

The County Council is currently undertaking a review of funding for transport for faith based schools and is considering scrapping the transport subsidy.

David Gauke, MP for South West Hertfordshire, criticised the proposal. “Faith based schools play an important role in our education system providing parents with a wider choice of high quality education. If the transport subsidy is lost, that choice will be lost for many people. That will be bad news for pupils, parents and the schools themselves.”

Mike Penning, MP for Hemel Hempstead, also spoke out against the plans. “If these proposals go through, families who cannot afford the transport costs will be denied the choice of a faith based schools unless they live close by. That is unfair.”

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