Tracker
Trust (SFT), which the minister approximately £4m of that will hit tee that it was in a position to deliver effective. Conservative MSP Liz
said would “be established as soon the education budget. on the policy come 2010: “The city Smith questioned whether the pol-
as possible”. Macdonald also ques- Councillor Kirsty West, council has worked hard to stabilise icy represented best value for money
tioned private investor interest in Lead Councillor for Education at the budget and I’m convinced that within a tight budget environment.
the non-profit distributing model of Aberdeen City Council came under the council will be back on a firm Labour MSP Ken Macintosh
the SFT. Mather argued that inves- pressure from MSPs to clarify her financial footing following this next echoed these concerns. He pointed
tors are currently looking for secu- council’s position on free school budget round. Council officials out that in the pilots there was only
rity first and foremost in large deals, meals. While the written submis- are already factoring in free school a 4 per cent increase in take-up
while accepting that this will come sion the committee received from meals into the projections for the amongst those previously entitled
with a lower return than investing in Aberdeen stated: “Aberdeen City 2010/11 budget.” and asked if this was not “a very
PPP schemes. Council remains unconvinced that The representatives of East small number for a very expensive
the introduction of free lunches to Ayrshire and Borders councils, policy?” Claire Baker MSP (Lab)
all Primary 1-3 children adds public which both took part in the pilots, questioned whether it was right that
EDUCATion, value or improves the outcomes for were positive about the educational her daughter, with two MSPs as
LiFELonG LEARninG
children” and that because of bud- and social impact of free school parents, should receive a free school
& CULTURE
getary limitations, “the introduction meals on children. In response to meal when she starts school.
CoMMiTTEE
of free food to children may need to a question from SNP MSP Aileen Tam Baillie of Barnardo’s Scot-
be targeted at children and families Campbell, Robin Gourlay, Head land responded that the policy had
novEMBER 12 most in need”, West’s oral evidence of Facilities Management at East two objectives – to improve public
By Cera Murtagh suggested the council was fully sup- Ayrshire Council said the pilot was health and to alleviate poverty - and
MSPs were given the opportunity portive of the policy. very popular with parents and it did was not solely about targeting the
to quiz representatives of local West told MSPs that she was not impinge significantly on the cur- least well off children.
authorities on the Government’s there to represent the policy posi- riculum, other than allowing pupils John Dickie of Child Poverty
free school meals policy. tion of the council while the sub- an extra five or ten minutes at lunch Action Group in Scotland added
Education representatives from mission was written by council offi- break. that this 4 per cent increase in
the Aberdeen, East Ayrshire, Inver- cers. Unhappy with this response, take-up was significant. Less than
clyde and Scottish Borders were Labour MSP and committee con- half of children living in poverty in
before the education committee to vener Karen Whitefield questioned EDUCATion, Scotland are currently entitled to a
explain their councils’ positions on why the council allowed officials to
LiFELonG LEARninG
free school meal, he said, so the roll-
the controversial policy and how make the submission before it was
AnD CULTURE
out will reach a far greater number
they intended to implement it. signed off by elected members.
CoMMiTTEE
of pupils in need. There are cur-
Albert Henderson, Head of West explained that time constraints rently about 250,000 children living
Schools at Inverclyde Council said were to blame for the discrepancy. novEMBER 5 in poverty – about 25 per cent of
his council was behind the policy Aberdeen City Council has a By Cera Murtagh all children – but only 15 per cent
but that the cost of implementing it distinctive position on the policy, The division of opinion in the are currently entitled to free school
was a cause of concern. Inverclyde hoping to extend its free school room was obvious as the education meals and only 11 per cent are actu-
is committed to delivering the roll breakfast policy in addition to free committee scrutinised the Scottish ally registered as receiving them.
out by 2010, he told the committee, lunches. “We would, ideally, like Government’s free school meals “The gap between the number
but it would require some realign- to provide both free school break- policy. of children who live in poverty and
ment of the education budget as no fasts and free school lunches, utilis- Taking evidence from children’s the number of children who receive
spare funds are available. ing funding from the Government, charities, MSPs grilled the represen- a free school meal is estimated to be
“The problem is, we welcomed private enterprise and the council tatives on the benefits and otherwise roughly 94,000. The Government
as a council the removal of ring itself,” West said. of the controversial policy. suggests that its policy to extend
fencing and the ability to control Conservative MSP Elizabeth A roll out of free school meals entitlement will reach an additional
efficiencies and then redirect the Smith questioned whether Aberdeen for all children in Primary 1 to 3 by 40,000 children, so it will go a long
money through single outcome could afford both these policies and 2010 was recently announced by way towards bridging that gap,”
agreements. Our difficulty, I think, asked West if she thought a more the Education Secretary after suc- Dickie said.
is that we don’t have any money targeted approach would better cessful pilots in five local authorities. On the funding issue, the chari-
uncommitted just now - all of the reach the children most in need. Though the policy was included in ties expressed their disappointment
education budget is committed. So “I think that if it was targeted the local government Concordat, that this had received so much
there will have to be a realignment in this way, it would create inequali- signed up to by all councils, the negative media attention. Dickie
of education budgets and that will ties amongst groups of children announcement was closely followed suggested that some of the reports
give us pressures in other areas,” and I also think that the added by claims that given current finan- – that 20 local authorities said they
Henderson said. bureaucracy of introducing a two- cial pressures, some could not afford could not afford to implement the
The current economic climate tiered approach to free school meals the initiative. policy – were misleading.
has left the council facing a number would be both costly and undesir- Cost was the main issue of dis- “I have been concerned by
of unforeseen financial pressures, able,” West responded. pute. Some MSPs challenged the media reports that have suggested
Henderson said. As a result, it is Given Aberdeen’s recent finan- universal nature of the policy and that local authorities—Ken Macin-
looking at about £9.5m of a fund- cial troubles, the councillor pro- asked if a more targeted, means- tosh said that the number is more
ing gap over the next two years and vided an assurance to the commit- tested approach would not be more than 20— say that they cannot
70
| 17 November 2008 | Holyrood magazine | www.holyrood.com |
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