Language learning approach funding: FOI release

Information requested

On the Scottish Government website (https://www.gov.scot/policies/languages/language-learning/) it states that since 2013 the Scottish Government have provided local authorities with £36.8 million in order to implement the 1+2 language learning approach.

a) Could you please break down the funding provided by local authority area? and,

b) Do the Government hold information on how this money was spent by local authorities and could you please provide a breakdown on how this money was spent i.e. different schemes or training courses for school staff etc?

Response

Question A) Could you please break down the funding provided by local authority area?

Answer a) Most of the information you have requested including the methodology used to allocate funding to individual local authorities is available on the Scottish Government website at: Allocation methodology and funding level for 1+2 Language Learning policy: FOI release - gov.scot.

Allocations for the years 2013/14 – 2019/20 are available on the Scottish Government website in the Annex E of each document at: Local government finance circulars - gov.scot

For ease of reference please find links to individual circulars. If you open the PDF copy of each circular and search for “1+2 languages” you will find the individual local authority breakdown for each year of funding:

• Local government finance circular 2/2019: settlement for 2019-2020 - gov.scot
• Local government finance circular 4/2018: settlements for 2018-2019 - gov.scot
• Local government finance circular 1/2017: settlement for 2017-2018 - gov.scot
• Local government finance circular 1/2016: settlement for 2016-2017 - gov.scot
• Local government finance circular 1/2015: settlement 2015-2016 - gov.scot
• Local government finance circular 1/2014: settlement 2014-2015, changes 2013-2014 - gov.scot * (Note that the circular for the year 2014-2015 initially included a provisional figure, which was later revised and finalised. The agreed amount was 5 million.)
• Local government finance circular 1/2013: settlement 2013-2014, changes 2012-2013 - gov.scot

*The final amended allocations for 2014/15 were as follows:

1+2 Language Learning - Funding Allocation 2014-15	Allocation (£5 million)
Aberdeen City	165,150
Aberdeenshire	262,012
Angus	113,132
Argyll & Bute	76,665
Clackmannanshire	50,633
Dumfries & Galloway	139,221
Dundee City	131,170
East Ayrshire	119,463
East Dunbartonshire	115,956
East Lothian	102,931
East Renfrewshire	115,077
Edinburgh City	346,756
Eilean Siar	25,172
Falkirk	157,305
Fife	362,933
Glasgow City	490,456
Highland	226,143
Inverclyde	73,926
Midlothian	88,419
Moray	88,251
North Ayrshire	135,172
North Lanarkshire	360,577
Orkney Islands	19,384
Perth & Kinross	132,292
Renfrewshire	170,405
Scottish Borders	108,691
Shetland Islands	24,068
South Ayrshire	102,351
South Lanarkshire	320,107
Stirling	88,288
West Dunbartonshire	91,346
West Lothian	196,549
All local authorities	5,000,000

Allocations for the financial years 2020/21 – 2022/23 are available on the Scottish Government website at: Local government finance statistics - gov.scot

For ease of reference please find links to the individual Green books:

• Green+Book+2020-21.pdf (Page 60)
• GAE+2021-22+-+Green+Bookkr.pdf (Page 55)
• Scottish Local Government Finance "Green Book" 2022-23 (Page 57)

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 website linked, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Question B) Do the government hold information on how this money was spent by local authorities and could you please provide a breakdown on how this money was spent i.e. different schemes or training courses for school staff etc?

Answer b) While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not hold the specific information you have asked for. Local authorities will have made use of the funding in a variety of ways. For example, as stated on the Scottish Government’s language learning web page, one of the intended purposes of the funding was professional learning to teachers, particularly in the primary sector where the class teacher would lead language learning. However, as the funding to local authorities for their roles in implementing the 1+2 language learning approach was not ring-fenced, the Scottish Government did not gather and therefore does not hold a breakdown or detailed analysis on the specific ways in which the money was spent by each individual local authority. You may wish to contact the individual local authorities, as they may hold records on the way that they allocated their overall funding. As such, I hereby provide you with formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

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