Council calls for "adequate" funding following Scottish Government's sanctions threat

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Perth and Kinross Council has expressed "extreme displeasure and frustration" at being threatened with financial sanctions by the Scottish Government rather than being given "adequate" funding.SNP council leader Grant Laing has agreed to write to Scottish Government ministers Shirley-Anne Somerville and John Swinney conveying this but called it "political opportunism" by Conservatives.The emergency motion - tabled by the Conservatives - was unanimously supported following Shirley-Anne Somerville's financial threat to Scotland's councils earlier this week.On Tuesday, February 7 the cabinet secretary for Education and Skills told the Scottish Parliament the Scottish Government would "withdraw or recoup funding" if councils did not deliver on three specific aims.She said: "Local authorities have historically received funding every year to maintain pupil teacher ratio, teacher numbers and to provide places on the Teacher Induction Scheme for all probationers who need one.

We also provide a further £145.5 million each year to fund teacher numbers and pupil support staff."Combined, this funding was made available and agreed with local authorities to deliver on three specific aims:"In the year ahead, where these criteria are not met by a local authority, we will withhold or recoup funding that has been given to a local authority for these purposes."Tabling the motion - at a meeting of Perth and Kinross Council on Wednesday, February 8 - Conservative group leader John Duff said: "This motion is not being proposed through any desire on our part to cut teacher numbers or support staff - far from it - but that these restrictions are tying the hands of local authorities in reaching a conclusion on what is the best way to reach a