asked the Minister for Education if any changes are planned for the free school transport scheme.

This scheme in common with all departmental services has to be reviewed annually in the context of the financial provision which can be made from available resources. As already announced, a firm of consultants has been engaged to review the financial and organisational aspects of the scheme and a report is expected by March, 1977.

Would the Parliamentary Secretary prescribe suitable medication for the Minister for Finance to keep him from thinking out loud, and would he also see that he will not have this transport scheme interfered with?

The scheme is being reviewed——

Defended.

——in common with other matters which involve the expenditure of public funds.

I said "defended".

Order.

I will make my reply in my own way to the question posed by the Deputy. The terms of reference of the study which has been carried out by a professional consultancy firm has been made public and they involve assessing the effectiveness of this scheme.

Was there any evidence taken from people in rural areas by these consultants?

The consultants are only commencing their work now.

Does the Parliamentary Secretary agree that there is a social need for this scheme, a social need of the type that caused the introduction of school transport by the previous Administration? Do the Government still accept social need as a justification for the scheme?

Obviously, there is a social need of school transport arrangements for children from isolated areas, but any scheme which costs as much money as this one and which was brought into being approximately ten years ago, is liable to periodic reassessment in the light of changed circumstances.

Is the reassessment to be, as in the case of children's allowance, on the basis of cost rather than social necessity? Is cost the only factor or is social need to be considered at all?

Both are being considered.

The remaining questions will appear on the Order Paper for the next sitting day.