Education, Children and Young People Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Official Report 578KB pdf

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Subordinate Legislation

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Lews Castle College (Transfer and Closure) (Scotland) Order 2023 (SSI 2023/171)

We move on to the second item on our agenda. The order before us closes Lews Castle College from 1 August 2023 and transfers its property, rights, liabilities and obligations to North Highland college. The instrument is being considered under the negative procedure.

Do any members have any comments to make about the order?

The subordinate legislation to merge the colleges is fairly straightforward. However, I have spoken to people in rural areas, and particularly to members who represent rural areas, and it feels like this is another budget-pushed decision as opposed to a decision that serves rural communities best. It is worth putting that on the record, because people in some communities are already struggling to get to and from colleges. Pulling everything into one place might mean that a larger college does not serve diverse areas as well as it might.

We took a significant amount of evidence on the matter during our college regionalisation inquiry, so we are aware of those concerns.

Is the committee agreed that it does not wish to make any recommendations in relation to the instrument?

Members indicated agreement.

The public part of our meeting has now concluded. We will consider the final items on our agenda in private.

10:44 Meeting continued in private until 11:20.