§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what actions (a) he may undertake and (b) aggrieved parties may undertake when the consultation process for school closures under the Education (Publication and Consultation Etc) (Scotland) Regulations 1981 have been shown to have been conducted (i) on the basis of incorrect financial information and (ii) on the basis of information provided on the wrong school; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe consultation process itself offers any aggrieved party the opportunity to take up with the education authority any alleged mis-information provided in the course of that process. If satisfaction cannot be obtained in this way it is open to the aggrieved party to consider lodging a complaint, in terms of section 70 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, of failure by the education authority to discharge properly a duty imposed under the Act. Such a complaint could only be considered in the light of the facts of the particular case and I cannot say, on a hypothetical basis, what would be the outcome of this consideration.