SMITH DEMANDS GOVERNMENT APOLOGY FOR MISLEADING PARLIAMENT OVER NEW SCHOOLS FOR FIFE

4.43.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 10th Sep 2008

North East Fife MSP, Iain Smith, has written to the Finance Secretary, John Swinney to demand that he apologises to Parliament following misleading statements that he made to Parliament today.

During an exchange following the Cabinet Secretary's Statement on the Scottish Futures Trust, Mr Swinney claimed Fife Council had committed to "a £126 million programme of investment in 6 new schools" and that "[t]hese investments are happening as a consequence of the Government's Budget decisions".

Mr Smith said:

"I fully support Fife Council's aspirations for 6 new schools, but it cannot be said that they have been "enabled to commit" to these. In all 6 cases a business case has still to be considered by the Council.

"It is incredibly irresponsible for the Government to claim credit for these Schools when it's not yet clear if or when the funding will become available to build them".

The full text to Mr Smith's letter is as follows:

Dear John

Further to our exchange on the Statement on the Scottish Futures Trust, I write to ask you to apologise to the Parliament for misleading it on the matter of investment in new schools in Fife.

In your statement you stated "This has for instance allowed …. Fife Council to commit a £126 million programme of investment in 6 new schools" and "These investments are happening as a consequence of the Government's Budget decisions".

Neither of these statements is factually correct.

I fully accept that Fife Council has aspirations for 6 new schools, but it cannot be said that they have been "enabled to commit" to these. In all 6 cases a business case has still to be considered by the Council. The 10 year capital investment programme for 2009 -19 will not be considered by the Council until February 2009. In the case of 5 of the 6 schools referred to, only initial sums have been allocated for the preliminary works (including developing business cases, etc) that have to be done before a project is committed and all substantive funding will fall in the years 2011 onwards if and when decisions are taken and funding sources identified. The council is clear that any capital project falling outwith the current financial plan period (2008-11) will be subject to the levels of funding available at that time.

The investment in these schools is therefore subject to the Council identifying adequate funding in the future, and is neither committed not guaranteed as a consequence of the Government's budget.

I have copies of the relevant council budget papers which I can forward to you for your information to confirm this.

I believe your statement significantly overstated the position in Fife with the effect of deliberately or unintentionally misleading the Parliament as to the extent of investment as a result of your Government's policy and that, in accordance with the requirements of the Ministerial Code, you should apologise to Parliament at the earliest opportunity.

Yours sincerely,

Iain Smith MSP

Liberal Democrat, North East Fife