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MINUTES
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Minute of
Meeting of 15 June 2005
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1
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The Minute of Meeting of 15 June 2005 was
approved.
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Declaration of Interest
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2
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Mr Norman A Macdonald declared an
interest in Item 9.
Mr Norman M Macleod declared an interest
in Item 10.
Mr Archie K Campbell declared an interest
in Item 19.
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FINANCE
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General
Fund Revenue Monitoring 1 April 2005 – 30 June 2005
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3
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It was
agreed to recommend:
(1)
approval of the recommendations
detailed in the Report by the Director of Finance, insofar as the Committee’s
interests were concerned; and
(2)
that the Comhairle note the Report by
the Director of Social Work.
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General
Fund Capital Monitoring 1 April 2005 – 30 June 2005
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4
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It was agreed to recommend approval of
the recommendations detailed in the Report by the Director of Finance,
insofar as the Committee’s interests were concerned.
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Proposed Efficiency Savings
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5
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It was
agreed to recommend approval of the recommendations detailed in the Report by
the Director of Finance, insofar as the Committee’s interests were concerned.
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Education
Capital Works
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6
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This item was
withdrawn.
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BUILDINGS
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Capital
Works: Programme and Progress
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7
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It was
agreed to recommend that the Comhairle note the Report.
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Lionel
Old School
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8
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It was
agreed to recommend that the Comhairle approve the continuation of the in
principle allocation of Lionel Old School to Iomairt Nis, subject to the
submission of development proposals to the Director of Education, and to note
that a further Report on this matter would be submitted to a future series.
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Mr Norman A
Macdonald declared an interest and left the meeting during consideration of
the following item.
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Uig School: Request by Uig Community Centre Association to Lease
Additional Land
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9
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It was
agreed to recommend that the Director of Corporate Services be authorised to
lease the area of land extending to 2146 square metres or thereby as shown
cross hatched on the plan appended to the Report to Uig Community Centre
Association for the provision of an extension to the existing community
centre on terms to be determined by the Director of Corporate Services, in
consultation with the Director of Education, subject to the consent of the
Scottish Ministers being obtained to a lease at nil rent and that the
existing leases for the site be extended so that all leases would expire in
2030.
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Mr Norman M
Macleod declared an interest and left the meeting during consideration of the
following item.
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Gibson Hostel Site
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10
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It was
agreed to recommend with regard to the former Gibson Hostel as far as the
interests of the Committee were concerned that:
(1)
pending a decision by the Housing
Committee, the site remain held on the Education Account; and.
(2)
subject to an acceptable proposal being
submitted to the Housing Committee for the future use of the sure it be
transferred from Education to Housing at no cost for onward disposal for
redevelopment;
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School Security at Sgoil Lionacleit and Castlebay Schools
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11
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It was agreed to recommend that the
Comhairle give consideration to retaining the facilities but considering the
allocation of additional supervisory staff if and when required and
identifying the necessary matching savings from within Education budgets as
appropriate.
Arising out of consideration of
this item it was agreed that the Director of Education submit regular
progress reports on the security at the Nicolson Institute campus.
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EDUCATIONAL
PROVISION
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Scottish Executive Circular 1/2005 –
Provision of Religious Observance in Scottish Schools: Formation of Working
Group
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12
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It was agreed to recommend that the
Comhairle:
(1)
agree to establish a Working Group;
(2)
appoint Mr Ian M Macleod, Mrs Morag
Munro, Mr Ronald J Mackinnon and Donald Manford to the said Member/Officer
Working Group; and
(3)
appoint the representatives of
religious interest of the Education and Children’s Services Committee to the
said Member/Officer Working Group.
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Specific Grants for Gaelic 2006/07:
Submission of Bid
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13
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It was agreed to recommend that the
Comhairle approve the submission, as detailed, to the Scottish Executive
Education Department, within the Regulations governing the Scheme of Specific
Grants for Gaelic Education, in respect of financial year 2006/07.
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Proposal for Comhairle nan Eilean Siar to
Bring Castlebay Playgroup and Croileagan Bagh a’ Chaisteil under the Direct
Management of the Comhairle
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14
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It was agreed to recommend that:
(1)
the Comhairle approve in principle that
Castlebay Playgroup and Croileagan Bagh a’ Chaisteil be taken under the
direct management of the Comhairle; and
(2)
subject to the approval of the above
recommendation, the Comhairle delegate authority to the Director of Education
and the Director of Corporate Services to negotiate agreements with Castlebay
Playgroup and Croileagan Bagh a’ Chaisteil in terms of which the Comhairle
will take over the management of the playgroup.
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Learning Community Proposals
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15
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This item was withdrawn.
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RELATED
MATTERS
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Draft Home to School Transport Policy
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16
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It was agreed to recommend, in so
far as the interests of the Committee were concerned, the Comhairle approve
the Home to School Travel policy set out at Appendix 1 as the Comhairle's
policy and authorise the Director of Education to implement the policy with
effect from 12 September 2005.
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Road Safety – 20mph Speed Limits at
Schools
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17
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It was agreed to recommend that the
Comhairle note the Report.
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PERFORMANCE
REVIEW
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Reports Outstanding: Progress
PR33.01.12
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18
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It was
agreed to recommend that the Comhairle note the Report.
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ADDITIONAL
ITEMS
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Mr Archie K Campbell declared an
interest and left the meeting during consideration of the following item.
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Allocation of Part of the Existing
Balances in Relation to Childcare
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19
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It was agreed to recommend that the
Comhairle approve the release of £60,000 held in balances to support the
development of a Family Centre at Saoghal Beag Nursery, North Uist.
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Higher School Bursaries: 2005/2006:
Revised Arrangements
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It was agreed to recommend that the
Comhairle approve the alignment of the system for the calculation of the
award of Higher School Bursaries with the calculation and award of Education
Maintenance Allowances for the academic session 2005/2006.
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Schools PPP Project – Inclusion of Balivanich Primary School: Further Consultancy Work
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21
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It was agreed to recommend that the
Comhairle:
(1)
note and welcome the extension of the
PPP Project to include a new Primary School for Balivanich; and
(2)
agree that further consultancy work be
commissioned as follows;
(a)
Harley Haddow be commissioned to carry
out site investigation and other survey works for a new school in Balivanich
to assess site suitability;
(b)
JM Architects be commissioned to carry
out a desktop study in relation to options for The Nicolson Institute; and
(c)
that this further consultancy work be
not tendered for in terms of Contract Regulation 7(f) for the reasons
detailed in paragraphs 2.2 and 2.3 of the Report respectively.
Arising out of consideration of
this item it was agreed:
(1)
local opinion be sought in relation to
the option of providing a larger primary school in an appropriate central location,
to replace both Balivanich and Iochdar Primary schools; and
(2)
the Private Public Partnership
proposals become a standing item on the Committee’s Agenda and that updates
on progress be sent to the relevant school boards when necessary and in any
event at least every 2 months.
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Children’s Services – Appointment of
Consultants
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22
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It was agreed to recommend that the
Comhairle:
(1)
note the support arrangements that have
been put in place as detailed in paragraph 2.2 of the Report; and
(2)
approve the review training and needs
policies and procedures in relation to Child Protection and Children’s
Services as detailed in Section 4 of the Report;
(3)
agreed to engage specialists
consultants to support this work and that these works not be tendered for in
terms of Contract Regulation 7(f) for the reasons given in Section 4.2 of the
Report; and
(4)
that the work be funded from the
relevant Service Budgets and that any consequences for these budgets be
reported in the quarterly revenue monitoring.
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