List D Schools (Hansard, 4 August 1976)

§ Mr. Millan

Yes. In November 1972 the then Secretary of State for Scotland announced his decision that arrangements should be put in hand to bring to an end, as soon after local government reorganisation as was reasonably practicable, the present system under which Exchequer grant is paid to the List D schools. He indicated that, in his view, there would be a continuing need in this field for both denominational and other schools and that the schools would gain from a closer association with the new regional authorities and from continuing participation in management by voluntary managers, including the Churches.

At the then Secretary of State's invitation the Advisory Council on Social Work set up a committee under the chairmanship of one of its members, Professor R. G. Mitchell, of the Department of Child Health in Dundee University, to consider the financial and administrative arrangements for the schools after they ceased to receive Exchequer grant.

The main conclusions of the Mitchell Committee were that (1) in view of the regional authorities statutory responsibilities and their future role as the providers of finance, it would be unrealistic to contemplate for the future a form of national control of List D schools; (2) variation in demand and high running costs would cause financial problems which would preclude the great majority of the schools from operating as independent establishments; and (3) in order that the establishments should have a dependable assurance of continuing usefulness and future financial support they should come under the control of the regional authorities.

The committee recommended by a majority that responsibility for the schools under local authority control should lie with education committees rather than social work committees. The Advisory Council, while endorsing the general conclusions of the committee, 784W differed from it in recommending that, in the event of transfer to regional authorities, responsibility for the schools should rest with the social work committees.

After careful consideration I have decided to accept in principle the basic recommendations of the committee and of the Advisory Council that the schools should come under the control of the regional authorities and I am also disposed to accept the council's recommendation that overall responsibility for the schools should rest with social work committees.

I am concerned to ensure that adequate account is taken of the fact that for historical reasons the geographical pattern of the schools does not reflect the pattern of need for their services and that there are consequently problems of placement for some authorities. It may be that until suitable arrangements can be made by the regional authorities among themselves to match supply to demand, my Department will for a time have to maintain some oversight of the situation. I am equally concerned to ensure that in any transfer of responsibility the interests of the staff at present working in the schools are adequately safeguarded.

These are some of the complex issues which will need to be considered in detail. These issues also include the financial basis of transfer; this could be a critical question and I do not find it possible to say when new arrangements can be introduced With that reservation as to finance, inevitable in present circumstances, but on the basis of the objectives of policy which I have announced, my Department will be undertaking consultations with the schools, the local authorities and the other interests concerned. I shall report to the House again once these consultations have been completed.