Audit Committee, 20 Mar 2001

Meeting date: Tuesday, March 20, 2001

Official Report 172KB pdf

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“Scottish Further Education Colleges: Managing Costs”

Item 2 is a progress report on Scottish further education colleges, and the full management review of the Scottish Further Education Funding Council. The main thrust of the funding council's response will not be reported to the committee until the summer. The incomplete nature of some of the information that was requested by members suggests that the committee may be best advised to await further information from the funding council before deciding how it wishes to follow up the report. We will have more information in the overview report, which is due to be published by the Auditor General around July.

Some of the general issues that were raised in the Auditor General's original report will also crop up in the forthcoming report on Moray College. The forward work programme will suggest that we take evidence on that report in late May and early June. That may highlight some of the national problems and how they translate to the running of individual colleges.

Are we prepared to wait for Professor Sizer's further report later this year, or does the committee want to take the matter further now?

We could note the current report as a progress report, as some issues require us to wait until July 2001. Some of the recovery plans for the remaining 10 colleges are still in draft form; it would be crazy for us to comment on something that is incomplete.

As a point of information, the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee is examining the role and funding of colleges. That inquiry should be completed at the same time as Professor Sizer's report; it might give us more information.

I was not a member of the committee during the original inquiry. I am happy to wait until we get Professor Sizer's further report, but, in paper AU/01/5/5, the summary that refers to the relevant pages in the progress report specifically mentions that we do not have details of the scale of the backlog maintenance. Obviously, Professor Sizer will respond appropriately in his further report. That is one of the main points that I noted. It would be useful for the committee to know the extent of the backlog maintenance and the estimated cost of putting it right.

Does the Auditor General want to comment?

I endorse your opening remarks, that a report on Moray College and, perhaps more significant, an overview report on the last full financial year of the further education colleges will be produced over the summer. Figures in those reports will be relevant to the committee's concerns about recovery plans.

I am comfortable with the suggestion that the committee might want to keep the matter under review and await the next two reports on FE before taking a final decision on whether it should take an active role.

Thank you.

I assume that it would be in the committee's power to inquire into the scale of the backlog maintenance. A letter could be sent to that effect, asking for information. Shall we do that and defer the matter until Professor Sizer reports?

Members indicated agreement.