TRANSPORT subsidies for pupils at York and Selby schools could be slashed under proposals being discussed by councillors today.

The move would see subsidised transport for pupils from East Yorkshire attending church schools scrapped, cutting a quarter of a million pounds from the council's yearly home-to-school journey bill.

Schools affected by the proposed cuts include All Saints school in York and Holy Family High in Carlton, near Selby, as well as St Augustine's in Scarborough and St Mary's in Hull.

If the plans go ahead, existing pupils will continue to qualify for the subsidies, but pupils attending Roman Catholic and other denominational schools from September next year would no longer receive the support.

Selby MP John Grogan has stepped in to urge East Riding councillors to throw out the proposals, which he said risked the council being branded the "meanest" in Yorkshire.

He said Holy Family Catholic School would be "badly affected" by the plans, as nearly half of its 432 pupils come from East Yorkshire.

He said: "If East Riding cut subsidised bus transport for children who want to attend religious schools they will be the first council in the north of England to do so.

"They will be completely ignoring the principles of parental choice.

"Many parents on low incomes or without a car will not be able to choose a Catholic or Church of England school for their child.

"East Yorkshire risks being branded the meanest council in Yorkshire. Only last weekend local pensioners were demonstrating against cuts in subsidised train travel and now they are attacking church schools which have contributed so much to our Yorkshire heritage."

The council's cabinet met on July 21 to debate the proposals, but deferred a decision to a meeting of the full council today.

Mr Grogan said: "It does appear that the council is now hesitating and I am encouraged to see that the cabinet felt they were unable to recommend the proposals to end the subsidy."

He joined Hull North MP Kevin McNamara in raising the issue in a House of Commons debate.

But East Riding council said the matter has been the subject of an extensive consultation, and that providing transport took up a large part of the available budget in the county.

Updated: 14:26 Wednesday, July 28, 2004