The Scottish Government violated an agreement with local councils by announcing a new pilot program in Moray before Moray Council had actually agreed it, a meeting has heard.
Councillor Kathleen Robertson (Forres, Conservative) made the comment over a pilot which would see Free School Meals extended to around 100 S1 to S3 pupils at Keith Grammar and Milne’s High.
The policy, to be tested in around 60 schools across eight council areas, was announced by First Minister John Swinney on Monday, June 23.
However, it was two days later that the Scottish Government-funded scheme would actually be approved, unanimously, by Moray Council.
Despite all councillors being in favour of the pilot, she argued, this was a “violation” of the Verity House Agreement deal between the Scottish Government and local council organisation COSLA.
“I don’t think anybody is in disagreement about rolling out this suggestion from Scottish Government,” Cllr Robertson said.
“I think the – if you want to call it this – grievance is the fact that it was announced before we as a council were able to democratically decide whether or not we wanted to go ahead with it.
“We all were aware of it coming, but we should have been given and afforded that opportunity at local level to make the decision without it being forced upon us by announcement.”
SNP group co-leader Councillor Scott Lawrence (Forres), however, said he wanted to “take the spotlight off the politics” while discussing the new scheme.
He added: “This is of course one of a suite of policies, including the Scottish Child Payment, which has seen that Scotland is the only part of the UK that has seen falling rates of child poverty.”
Councillor Theresa Coull (Keith and Cullen, SNP) said it was incorrect to assume the pilot decision was “done and dusted without us even knowing about it”, as there some prior discussions had taken place.
“It was agreed to put money forward for the two eligible schools without commitment on the understanding there would be no financial detriment to the council by participating,” she added.
”So it is costing the council absolutely nothing.”
Following a question from Councillor Juli Harris (Speyside Glenlivet, SNP), the meeting heard that any unspent cash from the scheme would be kept by Moray Council.
However, Councillor Marc Macrae (Fochabers Lhanbryde, Conservative) questioned when the First Minister had been elected to Moray Council.
“I do wonder which ward Councillor Swinney is a member of, and it would be nice if he gives us a heads up before he does any announcements in future as to what direction Moray is taking,” he added.
“But I do very much welcome this.”
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