Audit Committee, 19 Mar 2002

Meeting date: Tuesday, March 19, 2002

Official Report 111KB pdf

---

“Overview of Further Education Colleges in Scotland 1999/2000”

The Scottish Executive has accepted in full the findings of the committee's "Report on Overview of Further Education Colleges in Scotland 1999/2000". However, the Executive pointed out:

"in respect of the conclusion at paragraph 18 of the Report, SFEFC wishes to make clear that its current systems in no way depend exclusively on the good will of colleges, although that ingredient will always be an important part of the overall process."

The committee was highlighting evidence that appeared to suggest that the Scottish Further Education Funding Council had no formal powers to intervene when things were going wrong and had to rely for the most part on persuasion, but I am happy to note the Executive's point.

There is some overlap between the findings in the report and those in the report on governance and financial management at Moray College. Overall, the department has taken the committee's concerns on board and the report's main points will be covered by the imminent review of the sector. The committee welcomes the Executive's response to the report and awaits the findings of the review.

The committee should also note that the Auditor General will report on the FE sector in late spring. Having worked at Westminster, I think that it is refreshing and a compliment to the committee, Audit Scotland and the Scottish Executive that our work has led to immediate action to improve the FE sector. I am sure that that will reap rewards for everyone involved. It is a compliment to the new system in Scotland that such reviews take place and that our findings will be implemented for the benefit of the FE sector.