Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 27 January 2016
27 Jan 2016 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Portfolio Question Time
Local Authority Education Services
Education and Lifelong Learning
Scottish National Party-held North Ayrshire Council is proposing to cut £500,000 from its education services, and it will be the schools’ front-line staff who will bear the brunt of the axe. A survey that was carried out by the GMB in December found out that 100 per cent of its members who are employed in North Ayrshire schools believe that cutting back on clerical workers, home-school inclusion workers and pupil support welfare staff will have a detrimental effect on the services that are provided by each school, and so do I.
In the same item of business
4. Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local authority education services. (S4O-05477)
The Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Languages (Dr Alasdair Allan)
SNP
We provide local authorities with almost £5 billion of annual funding together with advice and guidance to enable them to provide high-quality education serv...
Margaret McDougall
Lab
Scottish National Party-held North Ayrshire Council is proposing to cut £500,000 from its education services, and it will be the schools’ front-line staff wh...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Could I have a question, please?
Margaret McDougall
Lab
Councils across Scotland are increasingly cash strapped, and further cuts are coming. What assurances can the Scottish Government give me and constituents th...
Dr Allan
SNP
Over Scotland, the support that is given for education has been maintained. It is for individual local authorities to justify their decisions. I return to a...
Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP)
SNP
Can the minister say how much funding is being provided to North Ayrshire Council to enhance educational attainment through the attainment Scotland fund?
Dr Allan
SNP
I can certainly respond in writing to provide further detail, but I can say that the overall figures for North Ayrshire—Interruption.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Order, please.
Dr Allan
SNP
I am answering the question that the member has just put to me. North Ayrshire Council has been allocated £1.96 million from the attainment Scotland fund th...