Agenda item

The Chair reported the updated Scrutiny Letters Log and referred to the recent correspondence between Scrutiny and Cabinet Members.

There was some concern regarding the Cabinet Member for Education’s response to the Committee’s letter following the session in December. 

The issues were detailed as follows:

-        EMLAS Review – there was concern that the review which began 18 months ago still does not have a completion date.  This was particularly important given the cuts to schools budgets and to the EMLAS service and the impact on schools with large numbers of children from ethnic minorities and those with English as a second language.

-        EOTAS Review - the Cabinet member’s letter states that there has been a meeting of the Education Inclusion Inquiry Panel on this. Although that is positive it would be helpful to know the status of the internal review.

RESOLVED that:

a.     The Chair write to the Cabinet Member for Education seeking further information in relation to the EMLAS and EOTAS reviews; and

b.     the Scrutiny Letters Log be NOTED.