§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if grants made to Comhairle nan Sgoiltean Araich can be spent within the United Kingdom but outside Scotland; [19118]
(2) what audits have been conducted in respect of grants made to, and other public expenditure provided for, the work of Comhairle nan Sgoiltean Araich in the past three years; [19119]
(3) what inspections have been conducted of community nurseries promoted or provided by Comhairle nan Sgoiltean Araich in the past three years; [19120]
(4) what is his Department's responsibility for the grant funding or inspection of the London-based Gaelic medium community nurseries provided by Comhairle nan Sgoiltean Araich; [19121]
(5) what (a) public funds and (b) grants are made available to Comhairle nan Sgoiltean Araich. [19122]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonScottish Office grants totalling £61,200 in 1995–96 are made to support the administrative costs associated with Comhairle nan Sgoiltean Araich—the Gaelic Pre-School Council—work in developing Gaelic pre-school groups in Scotland. None of our grants, which are closely monitored and audited annually, are spent outside Scotland. Information on the levels of funding for the individual pre-school groups provided by Government agencies, local authorities, companies, trusts, voluntary organisations, individuals and by the pre-school groups themselves is not held centrally.
The Children Act 1989 empowers local authorities to inspect nursery and day care premises registered under section 71 of the Act. Authorities must exercise that power at least once every year. Registered community 315W nurseries should, therefore, be inspected at least annually. Information about inspections of particular nurseries is not centrally available.