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Prayer:
Cannon Galbraith
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The Meeting was opened with prayer led by
the Very Rev J A Galbraith.
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Tribute:
Mod 2004
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The Chairman referred to all competitors
from Western Isles Schools’ who had participated in the Royal National Mod in
Perth.
The Chairman, on behalf of the Committee,
congratulated all of the successful pupils from the Western Isles.
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MINUTES
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Minute of
Meeting of 1 September 2004
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1
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The Minute of
Meeting of 1 September 2004 was approved.
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Minute of
Meeting of School Board Appointments Committee of 5 October 2004 and 7
October 2004
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2
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The Minutes of
Meetings of the School Board Appointments Committee of 5 October 2004 and 7
October 2004 were noted.
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Declaration
of Interest
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3
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Mr John
Mackay, Miss Samantha E L Hawkins and Mr Iain Morrison declared an interest
and left the meeting during consideration of Item 10.
Mr Donald I
Nicholson declared an interest and left the meeting during consideration of
Item 12.
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FINANCE
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Second
Quarter Revenue Monitoring 2004/05
PR110.08
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4
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The Director
of Finance submitted a Report detailing the Comhairle’s forecast revenue
outturn for 2004/05 at the end of the second quarter. A summary of the
financial performance to the end of September 2004 was appended to the
Report.
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It was agreed to recommend that:
(1) the Report be noted; and
(2) the use of the departmental carry
forward for the Chief Executive’s Office as detailed in Section 7 of the
Report and previously agreed be re-affirmed.
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Second
Quarter Capital Monitoring 2004/05
PR110.03
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5
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The Director
of Finance submitted a Report concerning the progress in the 2004/05 Capital
Programme as at 30 September 2004.
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It was agreed to recommend that the
Forecast Out-turn be approved as the Revised Approved Programme and
specifically approve the following:
(1) the slippage of £150k on Stornoway
Primary Roofing, £47k on the Schools Accessibility Programme, £64k on Water
Services, and £408k on Schools Capital Renovations;
(2) the slippage of £350k on the South Uist
Care Development;
(3) the slippage of £80k on Contaminated
Land, £50k on the Derelict Building Grant Scheme and £33k on the ACE Grant
Scheme;
(4) the slippage of £2k on the Mossend
Refurbishment;
(5) the transfer of £1,714 for the Spinal Route from the Conditional Programme to the Main Programme;
(6) the slippage of £6k for work on
Pointers not required until 2005/06 to meet the retention and slippage of
£30k for maintenance work at Lews Castle; and
(7) the slippage of £25k on work to the
Council Chamber.
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Allocation
of Additional Funding within the 2004/05 Financial Year
E01
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6
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The Director
of Education submitted a Report concerning the allocation of additional
funding now available to the Education Service within the 2004/05 financial
year. It was indicated in the Report that, as part of the allocation of
funds held in balances as part of the Scottish Executive additional McCrone
funding, the Local Negotiating Committee (Teaching Staff) had recently
approved the return of £123k of McCrone funding to main Education Service
budgets. Proposals for the re-allocation of this sum were detailed in the Report.
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It was
agreed to recommend that the reallocation of £123k McCrone funding, currently
held in balances, to Education Department budgets as set at paragraph 2.2 of
the Report by the Director of Education be approved.
Arising out
of consideration of this item it was agreed to recommend that a Report,
detailing the progress of the McCrone Agreement in Schools throughout the
Western Isles and detailing the level of support which has been given to
Schools in relation to the implementation of the McCrone recommendations, be
submitted to the next series of meetings.
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BUILDINGS
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Capital
Works: Programme and Progress
PR33.01.12
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7
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With reference
to item 6 of the Minute of Meeting of 1 September 2004 the Director of
Technical Services submitted a Report concerning programme and progress in
respect of properties held on the Education and Children’s Services account.
It was
agreed to recommend that the Report be noted.
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Repairs
and Maintenance (Revenue) Programme 2004/2005: Quarterly Expenditure Report
to 30 September 2004
E02
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8
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With reference to item 7 of the Minute of
Meeting of 3 February 2004 the Director of Technical Services submitted a
Report detailing expenditure on repairs and maintenance of properties held on
the Education and Children’s Services account in the current financial year
to 30 September 2004.
It was
agreed to recommend that the Report be noted.
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It was agreed
that the public, including the press, be excluded from the meeting during
consideration of the following item on the grounds that exempt information as
defined in Paragraphs 8 and 9 of Schedule 7A of the Local Government
(Scotland) Act 1973 would be disclosed, namely information relating to the
amount of any expenditure proposed to be incurred by the Comhairle under any
particular contract for the acquisition of property or the supply of goods or
services and any terms proposed or to be proposed by or to the Comhairle in
the course of negotiations for a contract for the acquisition or disposal of
property or the supply of goods or services.
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Public
Private Partnership Progress Report
E01.04.38
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9
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With reference
to item 7 of the Minute of Meeting of 1 September 2004 the Director of
Education submitted a Report detailing progress to date following receipt of
the indicative letter of award for the PPP bid from the Scottish Executive.
Details of Industry Days held in Stornoway and Edinburgh in June and July and
telephone surveys undertaken in July were given in the Report.
It was agreed to recommend that:
(1) the Report be noted; and
(2) a Report be submitted to the next
meeting of the Committee detailing:
(a) the work required to be carried out,
as a matter of urgency, at The Nicolson Institute;
(b) the budgets which were available for
work to be carried out at The Nicolson Institute in recent years and how
these budgets were utilised; and
(c) clarification of the reporting
systems, in place at schools, in respect of health and safety issues.
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It was agreed
that the public, including the press, be excluded from the meeting during
consideration of the following item on the grounds that exempt information as
defined in Paragraph 6 of Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act
1973 would be disclosed, namely, information relating to the financial or
business affairs of any particular person, other than the Comhairle.
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Mr John
Mackay, Miss Samantha E L Hawkins and Mr Iain Morrison declared an interest
in the following item and left the meeting during consideration of the
matter.
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Sale of Galson School
E02.03
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10
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With reference
to item 8 of the Minute of Meeting of 1 September 2004 the Director of
Education and the Director of Corporate Services submitted a Joint Report
detailing the offers received following advertisement of Galson School on the open market. It was indciated in the Report that five offers had been
received for the school and summaries of the offers were given in the
Report. Copies of the offers were appended to the Report.
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It was
agreed to recommend that, subject to a Minute of Waiver being obtained from
the Estate to the satisfaction of the Director of Corporate Services in
consultation with the Director of Education and the consent of the Estate
being obtained, that the Comhairle accept Offer 3 appended to the Report.
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It was agreed
that the public, including the press, be excluded from the meeting during
consideration of the following item on the grounds that exempt information as
defined in Paragraph 9 of Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act
1973 would be disclosed, namely any terms proposed or to be proposed by or to
the Comhairle in the course of negotiations for a contract for the
acquisition or disposal of property or the supply of goods or services.
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Castlebay Old Primary School
E02
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11
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With reference
to item 115 of the Minute of Meeting of 29 September 1998 the Director of
Education submitted a Report concerning the latest position regarding Castlebay Old Primary School. It was indicated in the Report that Castlebay Old School was
a Category C listed building.
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It was
agreed to recommend that the in-principle allocation of Castlebay Old Primary
School to Voluntary Action Barra and Vatersay be revoked and that Officers be
authorised to establish the potential for disposal of the property, including
through public advertisement, and report back to the Comhairle and that the
said Report would provide a detailed analysis of the whole situation and
narrate the Comhairle’s legal and other obligations.
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Mr Donald I
Nicholson declared an interest in the following item and left the meeting
during the consideration of the matter.
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Future
Use of the Former Gibson Hostel, Stornoway
E02
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12
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The Director
of Education and the Director of Housing submitted a Joint Report detailing
the current interest in the Former Gibson Hostel. Various expressions of
interest in the property were outlined in the Report and a note of a public
meeting on the future use of the property was also appended to the Report.
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It was agreed to recommend that:
(1) the Housing Department be requested to confirm whether
it wished to acquire the former Gibson Hostel site;
(2) a Report be submitted to the February
2005 meeting of the Housing and Education and Children's Services Committees
detailing any options outlined by the Housing Department for the development
of the site prior to any formal decision to transfer being reached.
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Proposed
Development of the Canteen at Balallan Primary School
E02
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13
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The Director
of Education submitted a Report concerning the latest position regarding the
proposed development of the canteen at Balallan Primary School. The existing
situation, details of the proposed development and financial aspects of the
proposal were outlined in the Report.
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It was agreed to recommend that:
(1) consideration of this item be deferred
to the next meeting of the Committee in December 2004; and
(2) a detailed Report outlining the
options for the proposed development of the canteen at Balallan Primary School be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee in December 2004.
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Transfer
of Leurbost Old School and Schoolhouse to the Department for Sustainable
Communities
E02
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14
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With reference
to item 12 of the Minute of Meeting of 27 August 2002 the Director of
Education and the Director for Sustainable Communities submitted a Report
concerning the transfer of the former Leurbost School and Schoolhouse to the
Department for Sustainable Communities for the purpose of a housing site
development. It was proposed in the Report that the site be transferred from
the Education and Children’s Services account to the Housing (General Fund)
account to allow site clearance and development work to commence and to allow
for completion in the 2004/2005 financial year.
It was
agreed to recommend that Leurbost Old School and Schoolhouse be transferred
from the Education and Children’s Services account to the Housing (General
Fund) account for the purpose of site development.
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It was agreed
that the public, including the press, be excluded from the meeting during
consideration of the following item on the grounds that exempt information as
defined in Paragraph 6 of Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act
1973 would be disclosed, namely, information relating to the financial or
business affairs of any particular person, other than the Comhairle.
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Lease of
Room at Tarbert Old Hostel, Isle of Harris
E02.73
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15
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With reference
to item 32 of the Minute of Meeting of 27 March 2001 the Director of
Corporate Services and the Director of Education submitted a Joint Report
concerning an application received to lease Room 9, Tarbert Hostel, Isle of
Harris for the purpose of providing office accommodation for an
administration support centre to deal with customer satisfaction surveys.
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It was
agreed to recommend that Room 9, Tarbert Old Hostel, be leased to George S
Hall on the same terms and conditions as the previous lease of the unit,
other than that the lease would be for an initial period of six months and
monthly thereafter.
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EDUCATIONAL
PROVISION
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Pre-Vocational
Education Provision
E01
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16
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With reference
to item 12 of the Minute of Meeting of 30 September 2003 the Director of
Education submitted a Report detailing the current situation in respect of
pre-vocational education, including collaboration in educational delivery
between schools and the Further Education sector.
It was
agreed to recommend that the progress with pre-vocational education provision
in schools be noted.
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EDUCATIONAL
POLICY
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Policy on
the Use of Mobile Phones in Schools
E07
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17
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The Director
of Education submitted a Report seeking approval for a new policy on the use
of mobile phones, by school pupils, in schools. A revised draft copy of the
Policy was appended to the Report.
It was
agreed to recommend that the policy appended to the Report by the Director of
Education for the use of mobile phones in schools be approved as the
Comhairle policy and the Director of Education be authorised to implement the
policy at school level with effect from 1 December 2004.
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Revised
Policy on Letting of School Premises
E02
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18
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The Director
of Education submitted a Report seeking approval for a revised policy on the
letting of school premises. It was indicated in the Report that a wide
ranging consultation had been undertaken, to which only a modest number of
responses had been received, which were summarised in the Report and some
minor changes were incorporated into the final draft policy as a result of
the consultation. A copy of the proposed revised policy on the letting of
school premises was appended to the Report.
It was
agreed to recommend that the revised policy for the letting of school
premises be approved and that the Director of Education be authorised to
implement the policy at school level with effect from the beginning of the
school term in January 2005.
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Policy on
Early Retirement: Teaching Staff
M06.10
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19
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The Director
of Education submitted a Report concerning issues raised by the Secretary of
the Local Negotiating Committee for Teaching Staff in respect of the
Comhairle’s Policy on Early Retirement as it related to Teaching Staff. A
note of the issues raised by the Secretary of the Local Negotiating Committee
for Teaching Staff was appended to the Report.
It is
recommended that:
(1) the Director of Education be authorised
to present applications to the Human Resources Sub-Committee for
determination, where efficiencies and savings can be demonstrated; and
(2) a Report be submitted to the next
meeting of the Committee in December 2004 outlining the terms of the policy
in relation to the appeals process for teaching staff and clarification of
the policy in relation to the retirement of teaching staff who are over the
age of 60.
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RELATED
MATTERS
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Road
Safety: 20mph Limits at Schools/Schools Traffic Management
T08.05.06
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20
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With reference to item 12 of the Minute of
Meeting of 1 September 2004 the Director of Technical Services submitted a
Report concerning progress with School Traffic Management Schemes and 20mph
speed limits at Schools.
It was
agreed to recommend that a Report be submitted to the next meeting of the
Committee detailing a proposed prioritised list of Schools where it is
considered that the introduction of a 20mph speed limit would be appropriate
and detailing the priority criteria including the current volume of traffic,
current limits, budgetary provision and detailing the reasons why the
introduction of 20mph limits were not considered appropriate at all Schools
and detailing the proposed use of any balance after these measures had been
implemented.
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Active
Schools – Submission
E01
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21
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The Director
for Sustainable Communities submitted a Report seeking approval to submit an
application for Active Schools funding based on the staffing structure as
detailed in the Report. Financial and human resource implications were
outlined in the Report.
It was
agreed to recommend that the proposed staffing structure be approved as the
basis for the submission of the Implementation Plan for Active Schools.
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PERFORMANCE
REVIEW
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Reports
Outstanding: Progress
PR33.01.12
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22
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With reference
to item 17 of the Minute of Meeting of 3 November 2004 the Director of
Corporate Services submitted a Report concerning Reports Outstanding arising
from decisions of the Education and Children’s Services Committee.
It was
agreed to recommend that the Report be noted.
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