Petitioner: Peter Gregson on behalf of Kids not Suits
Status:
Closed
Date Lodged:
22 March 2016
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to use its position in negotiations to set local authority budgets to ensure local authorities work together on a regional basis to provide education and transport services on a shared basis. Efficiencies could lead to staff being redeployed out of the back office and into front line services.
Summary:
15 September 2016: The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government, COSLA and the Local Government and Communities Committee. Link to Official Report 15 September 2016
24 November 2016: The Committee agreed to close the petition under rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that there are current and forthcoming consultation opportunities that will allow the issues raised by the petitioner to be considered. Link to Official Report 24 November 2016
Written Submissions
Scotland has more public sector workers per head of population than anywhere else in Europe yet our services are no better. This is due to our having 32 local authorities to serve a population of 5.2 Million- 162,500 per Council.
Looking at just the upper tier councils (excludes district), England has 152 Councils for 57.5 Million – that’s 378,290 people per Council. They have fewer upper tier Councils, but their services are the same.
Scotland suffers from duplication and inefficiency in having so many back office Council staff for so few people.
Any savings resulting from those taking early retirement or seeking employment elsewhere to be ploughed into reducing school class sizes and fixing the roads. If that requires building more- and ideally smaller- schools, then the savings will help fund this too.
Why does Scotland have more public sector workers per head of population than anywhere else in Europe, but services that are no better?