Chamber and committees

Under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, local authorities already have a duty to provide advice and assistance with a view to preparing a young person for when he or she is no longer looked after by a local authority. Local authorities are also required to advise, guide and assist a young person who was looked after at school leaving age or thereafter up to the age of 19 unless the local authority are satisfied that the young person's welfare does not require it. Local authority assistance, which may include assistance in kind or in cash, may continue until the young person is 21 years old.

The working party will examine how best local authority resources, enhanced by the transfer of DSS resources, might operate for the good of young people requiring throughcare and aftercare and offer advice to Scottish Ministers. This will include consideration of such issues as ring-fencing of resources; a safety net for young people who have lost contact with their local authority; and an appeals procedure.The working party will report periodically to Ministers to assist appropriate implementation procedures to come into effect in the course of next year.

Copies of individual responses may be obtained in the usual way from the Scottish Executive unless individuals have asked that their reply remain confidential.

We are making excellent progress. Under regulations made in April 1999, P1 classes with a single teacher may not have more than 30 pupils this academic year. Two schools have been granted temporary exemptions and we are holding an application from a third authority.From August 2000 this limit will apply to P2 and from August 2001 to P3. By 2001 we will have achieved our target of all children in P1-P3 being taught with a maximum ratio of 30 pupils to every teacher.

All estimated end year flexibility within the education, culture and sport budget has been allocated.

The Scottish Executive have no plans to publish the results of the review of education authority anti-bullying policies which was carried out in 1997. At the time of requesting information local authorities were advised that this information would not be made publicly available.

Bullying is a serious matter and must be addressed quickly and firmly. The Scottish Executive is funding the national Anti-Bullying Network to help schools across Scotland share good practice in tackling bullying. The Network is currently making a range of materials on anti-bullying strategies available to schools and is providing in-school training and a consultancy service to support individual schools in developing effective anti-bullying strategies. The in-school training provided by Network staff is tailored to suit the particular needs of the schools involved.

The overall management of their school building stock is a matter for individual education authorities. Detailed information of the kind requested is not held centrally.

The overall management of their school building stock is a matter for individual education authorities. Detailed information of the kind requested is not held centrally.

Reports published by HM Inspectors of Schools do not comment on nutritional standards of school meals as a matter of course. The school inspection process informs general consideration of healthy eating issues, particularly in the context of health and nutrition education.