§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the special circumstances of the music school attached to Douglas academy in Milngavie will be fully taken into account when he decides the financial allocation to the new East Dunbartonshire council.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonAs the October 1992 consultation paper "Shaping the New Councils" made clear, the distribution of aggregate external finance to the new councils following local government re-organisation will be subject to consultation with Convention of Scottish Local Authorities in the distribution committee of the working party on local government finance. As at present, the distribution will be determined by the client group assessment methodology. The distribution committee will be considering during the course of this year the preparation of grant aided expenditure assessment for each of the new councils.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his policy with regard to the music school attached to Douglas academy in Milngavie and similar establishments; and what plans he has to give special financial help to such ventures when the new councils are set up.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe Government recognise the important contribution which the music school and other similar schools in Scotland make to the education system. It was following recommendations in a report by the Scottish Education Department in 1976 that these schools were set up.
772WThe framework in the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 should ensure maximum continuity between the existing and the new authorities in terms of provision of education services.
Provisions already exist under section 23(2) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to safeguard the financial position of an authority which, as in the case of Douglas academy, is providing education for pupils from another authority's area. Section 23(2) provides a mechanism whereby such an authority may recoup the costs incurred by so doing.