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date: 1 February 2007

embargo: 00.01 hrs, 2 February 2007

TUC in London calls for a lobby of the London Assembly to defend free bus and tram travel for under 18s

The TUC in London has condemned the proposal by the Conservative Group on the London Assembly to abolish free bus and tram travel for all under 18s in full-time education.

And so the TUC in London has called for a lobby of Assembly Members at City Hall, 9.00-10.15am, 14 February, when the London Assembly will be holding its 'final budget meeting'. Unions in London will urge parent's groups, children's charities and anti-poverty groups to join the lobby, which will ask all Assembly Members to defend the existing fares concession to London's under 18s who are in full-time education.

Organisations and individuals wishing to join the lobby should see the SERTUC web site www.tuc.org.uk/sertuc or contact SERTUC on 020 7467 1220.

In response to the proposal made by Angie Bray, Conservative Assembly Member, to scrap the concession and to implement a limited pilot scheme in just six Boroughs, Megan Dobney, Regional Secretary for the TUC in London, said:

'The TUC in London believes that funding the free bus service for those under 18 who are in full-time education is a value for money investment. Critically, it helps more young people stay in education and is of particular assistance to London's poorest families. After housing costs are taken into consideration, 41 percent of children in London are living in poverty. That rises to 53 percent in Inner London, where we face the greatest challenge in raising the levels of educational attainment. The existing concession is worth up to £350 a year per child to those vulnerable families. To lose it would be a massive blow for tens of thousands of young people.

'Opposition to the existing free bus and tram travel for London's under 18s in full-time education is rank bad policy and we intend to mobilise key voices in London to prove that it is bad politics too. The Conservative Group has tried to disguise this cut in public services with a smoke screen of a pilot project. Londoners will not be fooled.'

The TUC in London believes the Mayor's existing fare concession should be strenuously defended and we invite Londoners to indicate their support on our petition, downloadable from the www.tuc.org.uk/sertuc .

Any problems with the download - contact our office 020 7467 1220, dlewis@tuc.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- SERTUC is the regional TUC responsible for London, the South East and the East of England.

- 850,000 trade union members live and work in London.

- Poverty statistics are from 'London Divided: Income inequality and poverty in the capital', published by the Mayor of London. The existing fares concession is of direct help to those needy families. It is calculated that the concession is worth up to £350 per school age child.

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Register for the TUC's press extranet : a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre-embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

Contacts:

Media enquiries: Laurie Heselden T: 020 7467 1292; E: lheselden@tuc.org.uk

M: 0781 800 2877

Enquiries about the lobby: Matt Dykes 020 7467 1386; E; mdykes@tuc.org.uk ;

M: 07970 618 105

SERTUC Office: 020 7467 1220

Press release (600 words) issued 6 Feb 2007