Chamber and committees

In circumstances such asthis, when the Scottish ministers are not determining a planning application, adetailed report of their assessment is not issued. However, as a broadindication of the considerations that led to the decision, I can advise that the Scottish ministers were satisfied that no national issues arose which weresufficiently significant to warrant their intervention.

I chair the Cabinet SubCommittee on Sustainable Scotland and the membership comprises the Deputy FirstMinister, Ross Finnie, Nicol Stephen, Mary Mulligan, Tavish Scott and AllanWilson.

The support for the Eco-Schoolsprogramme has been as part of the overall framework of improvement on theNational Priorities in Education, introduced by the Standards in Scotland’sSchools etc. Act 2000. The Executiveremains committed to the importance of sustainable development, and will takeaccount of that in the planned review of the national priorities in educationfor 2005 and beyond. As part of the review, we will consider the future role ofvarious developments which aim to improve outcomes for school pupils, includingthe Eco-Schools programme.

Under the pilot programme, some430 schools across all local authority areas have adopted the integrated(formerly new) community school approach. We understand that, since the startof the roll out programme in April 2002, the number of schools involved hasrisen to more than 1000. Adoption of the integrated community school approachdoes not necessarily impact on pupil or teacher numbers in the schoolsinvolved.

The Scottish Executive publication School’s Out – A Framework for the Development of Out ofSchool Care set out a number of recommendations for local authorities andother bodies to develop out of school care (OSC) provision. Recommendation 1calls on local authorities to undertake a review of OSC provision within theirareas and identify priorities to address any gaps in provision. The Executivehas issued guidance to local authorities on meeting this recommendation, andthey are expected to report their findings in spring 2004.

The Standards inScotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000, which came intoforce in April 2002, placed a new duty on authorities to secure a pre-schooleducation place for all eligible children. The duty placed on local authoritiesallows them to secure pre-school education from voluntary or private partnerproviders within the sector. Local authorities are responsible for thecommissioning of these places.

The Scottish Executive’s Childcare Strategy aims to provide affordable, accessible, goodquality child care for children in all neighbourhoods. In order to implementthe strategy at a local level, the Executive provides Childcare Strategyfunding to local authorities. Local authorities, in conjunction with the localchild care partnership are responsible for the allocation of funding to meetlocal child care needs, including “wraparound” provision within their areas.

The Executive has alsocommissioned a nationwide research project to look at parental demand for childcare. This project will explore the issues that affect vulnerable groups suchas lone parents, ethnic minorities, student parents, young parents and parentsof disabled children or children with additional special needs. The report onthe findings of this research is also expected in spring 2004.

Guidance to localauthorities and schools sets out opportunities for teaching sustainable developmentat every level of the school curriculum.

Under the arrangements toreport against the National Priorities for Education, local authorities will submitinformation on “the number/percentage of primary and secondary schools withintheir area that are participating in the Eco Schools programme or a similaraccredited environmental award”.

The Sustainable SecondarySchools Partnership (SSP) managed by Learning and Teaching Scotland andinvolving various environmental organisations are involved in a four-year initiative on education for sustainabledevelopment in secondary schools.

Wehave also recently established the Educationfor Sustainable Development Liaison Group (ESDLG) to consider wider issues ofeducation for sustainable development in schools and to make recommendationsfor a strategy for the future.

We are also taking forwardpolicies of promoting sustainable development in further and higher educationthrough the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Councils.

There is no optimum size ofschool for adoption of the integrated (formerly new) community school approach.All schools are expected to become integrated community schools by 2007.Experience over the pilot programme and the first year of the roll outprogramme indicates that the integrated community school approach can beadopted successfully in individual schools or in cluster of schools.

The Care Commission does notregulate schools. It is responsible for the regulation of certain care servicesincluding day care of children services and some school care accommodationservices. Both public and independent sector services are regulated takingaccount of the relevant National Care Standards, which are prepared andpublished by Scottish ministers.

Day care of childrenservices such as nurseries and playgroups can be provided in school premises.The appropriate National Care Standards for all these services are “earlyeducation and childcare up to the age of 16”.

The Care Commissioncurrently regulates the residential care aspect of independentresidential special schools, grant-aided residential special schools, educationauthority residential special schools (registered prior to April 2002) and independentschools with boarding provision voluntarily registered prior to April 2002under section 34 of the children (Scotland) Act 1995. The National Care Standardsfor “school care accommodation services” are applied to these services.

Those who work with young peoplefall within the ambit of a number of options for sector skills councilscurrently under consideration. We are keen to secure the option which bestsupports the diverse professional groups working with young people.

The Scottish Executive is taking action on several fronts to tackle the illegal use of lead solder. These include:

working with the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation to reiterate that the use of leaded solder on drinking water plumbing is illegal,and to discourage the practice;

working with Scottish Water to strengthen their byelaws which enforce the ban on the use of lead solder in all buildings supplied by the public water supply (though stiffer penalties and an improved monitoring regime);

asking the ScottishCentre for Infection and Environmental Health to undertake further research toassess the scale of the problem and the impact of measures taken to date;

looking at how the new building standards system proposed for 2005 might also encourage proper plumbing practice through the Building (Scotland) Act 2003, and

providing information and advice to the public on the safe use of drinking water, for instance the “Be Water Wise” leaflet.