The government should show flexibility to parents who take their children out of school for term-time holidays, according to the Leader of the Liberal Democrats and MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale Tim Farron. Statistics released this week show that in Cumbria the number of fines issued over the last four years has risen by over 200% and the number of prosecutions has rocketed.

New rules introduced by Michael Gove saw a crackdown on term-time holidays. The number of Cumbrian parents given fines for taking their children out of school has shot up from 29 four years ago to 92 last year. The number of prosecutions has also seen a huge increase, with 32 parents prosecuted last year in Cumbria compared to zero four years ago.

Tim said:

“The Conservatives put in place a draconian system which unfairly punishes responsible parents. Instead of prosecuting parents who take a family holiday during term-time, the government should be more flexible.

“Many South Lakes parents work in tourism, and simply can’t afford to take a week off in the middle of the summer. Many can also not afford the crippling costs of peak season holidays. Treating these parents as reckless and irresponsible does not work and simply divides communities – only the wealthy will be able to afford to go on family holidays.”