25 February 2011
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Peter Peacock has urged the Council to secure the future of Plockton Music School swiftly otherwise it risks losing funding from the Scottish Government.
He asked Education Secretary Mike Russell written Parliamentary questions about funding for the school, which was earmarked for closure as part of Highland Council’s recent budget cuts.
The centre survived but still faces an uncertain future.
Mr Russell indicated in his replies that were the Council to withdraw its own funding then the Scottish Government‘s annual grant would also be withdrawn and this money could not be spent on other services by the council.
Mr Peacock said: “The clear implication is that if Highland Council ends the funding to the school, it will lose the grant from the Scottish Government.
“That would not only leave the council without the school, with all the benefits that arise from that for the local economy, the benefits to the reputation of the Highlands and the benefits to the individual pupils and to Scottish traditional music but it would also mean that the Council would be financially worse off .”
He added: “The answers confirm what I have been saying to the Council about the financial risks they were running when they embarked on this course of action.
“However, I welcome the positive meeting that was held earlier in the week between the Council and the school and I hope the answers to the questions will confirm to the Council that they need to resolve the matter quickly.”
