Education funding allocations: FOI release

Information requested

1. The block grant allocations for education made by the Scottish Government to local authorities, split by local authority (ideally in excel format)
2. The allocations made to local government from the "£145.5 million each financial year to fund teacher numbers and pupil support staff" referred to by The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (Shirley-Anne Somerville) in the meeting of the Parliament 7th February, split by local authority.
3. A list of Key Performance Indicators, or equivalent measures, by which Scottish Government assures itself of the appropriate expenditure of local government block allocations and value for money to the public purse.

Response

Some of the information you requested under part 1 is available from the Scottish Government website. The vast majority of the Scottish Government’s funding to local authorities is provided through the “block grant” but allocations to specific functions are not separately identifiable. It is for local authorities themselves to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, on the basis of local needs and priorities. The Local Government Finance Circular for 2023- 24 (https://www.gov.scot/publications/local-government-finance-circular-3-2023-settlement-for-2023-24/) shows the full breakdown on the settlement split by local authority. Previous years are published online.(https://www.gov.scot/collections/local-government-finance-circulars/). There are also a number of separate education related funding allocations out with the block grant set out in a separate publication "Scottish Local Government Finance ‘Green Book’ for Grant Aided Expenditure and other allocations 2023-24" (https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-local-government-finance-green-book-2023-24/). Previous years are available at : https://www.gov.scot/collections/local-government-finance-statistics/

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the websites listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

In relation to part 2 of your request, the attached pdf sets out details of the allocations to local government to fund teacher numbers and pupil support staff.

Part 3 of your request sought a list of key performance indicators for local government spend. The Scottish Government does not have any general Key Performance Indicators relating to the block grant allocations and therefore does not hold the information requested. The Scottish Government’s policy towards local authorities’ spending is to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, on the basis of local needs and priorities having first fulfilled their statutory requirements.

The Accounts Commission examines how Scotland's 32 councils manage their finances, helps these bodies manage their resources efficiently and effectively, promotes Best Value and publishes information every year about how councils perform.

 

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

202300345311_2023-24 Teacher support by local authority

File type

1 page PDF

File size

15.3 kB