St Mary's Music School (Aided Places) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2003 (SSI 2003/280)<br />Education (Assisted Places) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2003 <br />(SSI 2003/281)
We have two negative instruments to consider. Shirley Anderson from the schools division of the Scottish Executive is here to tell us what the instruments are about and to explain the background to them.
The two instruments deal with the annual uprating of the remission allocation for parental contributions. The sets of regulations are similar, although one is for the assisted places scheme, which is currently being phased out, and the other is for the aided places scheme, which will continue to operate at St Mary's Music School. The details are numerical, as the regulations reflect an increase in the allowances. The uplift is a 2.3 per cent increase and was based on inflation as at last October. The uplift means that, when a parent's contribution to the fees at the school is calculated, the parent does not pay more than they did in previous years—the uplift should achieve a balance.
Do members have any questions on the regulations? They are relatively routine.
I noted, because of our debates on free school meals and the Education (School Meals) (Scotland) Bill, that one change that the statutory instruments will make is to take into account child tax credit. We want to ensure that the two statutory instruments cover that. Are any more instruments that amend grants to schools and which must take account of child tax credit in the pipeline?
No such instruments are likely in relation to assisted or aided places. The child tax credit started this year, but it will not affect many parents who participate in the scheme until next year, because fee remission is based on the financial year ending March 2003 and relates to parents' salaries as at March 2003. For parents who receive income support, child tax credit did not start until after March 2003. The child tax credit would come into play only for parents who are subject to current-year assessment. We have nothing else to present to the committee in connection with the assisted or aided places schemes.
We have just passed the Education (School Meals) (Scotland) Bill for schools generally and it has retrospective effect. Will the regulations cover people for the period back to April, when the child tax credit system started?
Yes. If children start in August, the scheme is based on their parents' salaries as at 31 March. If parents have moved to the child tax credit and their income has moved quite a bit, they can appeal to the school for readjustment and the situation will be taken into consideration.
I have two brief questions. The regulations amend instruments from 2001. Are adjustments made only every couple of years, rather than every year? Is St Mary's Music School the only place where the aided places system operates?
A statutory instrument is made every year and one was made in 2002 to uprate the fees and charges that are associated with the scheme. St Mary's Music School is the only school in Scotland that participates in the aided places scheme.
We are dealing with the instruments under the negative procedure, so anybody who objects must do something positive. Is the committee content not to make a recommendation to Parliament?
It is desirable that the measures should be passed, in the interests of the schoolchildren concerned. Is that the essence of the Executive's advice?
Yes.
Does the committee agree to make no recommendation on the regulations?