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<p>The House Administration wants to enable schoolchildren across the UK to have the
opportunity to visit Parliament. It has therefore been actively considering the impact
of rising travel costs and revised constituency boundaries on the Education Travel
Subsidy.</p><p>In June 2023, the Finance Committee considered and agreed proposals
to increase the subsidy in light of rising travel costs. This was implemented in September
2023, but the Committee asked for additional increases to be considered. A further
proposal was brought to the Finance Committee in November 2023 and the Commission
in December 2023 to amend some elements of the subsidy and implement further increases.
These were agreed and will be applied from April 2024. The changes are expected to
increase visit numbers from outside the south-east.</p><p>The Commission noted in
December 2023 that a deep dive review of the Education Travel Subsidy programme would
take place in the third quarter of 2024/25 which would take account of constituency
boundary changes.</p><p>The travel subsidy allows eligible state-funded schools to
claim between 50 and 75 per cent of travel costs back, subject to maximum claim caps.
Constituencies are set into three geographic based bands, A, B or C to determine eligibility.
Further information is given on the Parliamentary website: <a href="https://learning.parliament.uk/en/schools-and-colleges/travel-subsidy/"
target="_blank">Travel Subsidy - Parliament UK Education</a>. Recent changes to subsidy
level are given below.</p><p>Travel subsidy in 2022</p><ul><li>Band A: Not eligible</li><li>Band
B: 50% of receipted travel costs, up to a maximum claim of £800</li><li>Band C: 75%
of receipted travel costs, up to a maximum claim of £1600</li></ul><p /><p>Travel
subsidy as of 1 September 2023</p><ul><li>Band A: Not eligible</li><li>Band B: 50%
of receipted travel costs, up to a maximum claim of £1,000</li><li>Band C: 75% of
receipted travel costs, up to a maximum claim of £2,000</li></ul><p /><p>Travel subsidy
changes for 1 April 2024 will be announced to Members in the coming weeks.</p><p>
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