NO FREEDOM PASS FOR LOOKED-AFTER CHILDREN IN TORY KENT

Kent County Council’s Cabinet Scrutiny Committee revealed at its meeting yesterday that looked-after children in the County are excluded from the Council’s Freedom Bus Pass scheme because Kent County Council, the legal ‘corporate parent’, won’t pay its own £50 administration charge.

Clive Hart, Labour Shadow Cabinet Member for Children & Family Services, says: “I was appalled to discover that KCC was providing subsidised bus travel for children at private schools but orphans and other disadvantaged kids were excluded. The time has come for Kent County Council to do the decent thing by the kids in its care”.

The Freedom Bus Pass has already been criticised for not being introduced in areas of greatest need first.

Mike Eddy, Labour Shadow Leader, says: “The Freedom Pass is supposed to respond to the needs of young people to visit friends and to enjoy leisure facilities. But you have no chance to do that if you are unlucky enough to be in the care of Kent County. The Tory administration of KCC should be thoroughly ashamed”.