Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Q4: Scholarships Scandal

Cllr P. M. Dilks to ask Portfolio Holder for Adult Services:

As the Executive now appears intent on abolishing the long-standing right of elected members to table written questions at full Council meetings, may I invite you to take this historic opportunity to put on record your continued justification of the so-called Lincolnshire Scholarship Scheme.

Specifically, may I ask:

1. How do you justify Lincolnshire County Council annually spending more than £2 million of public money to send 50 children a year to a fee-paying school?

2. What is it that makes 50 children a year worth thousands of pounds more than the Deeping St James children I represent, the Bracebridge Heath children you represent, or the children represented by almost every other member of this Authority?

3. How do you justify forcing every council taxpayer in Lincolnshire to pay for the private education of a few Stamford children which is denied to the vast majority who are paying for it, no matter how talented their children?

4. Could you please give the Council an update on the Review of the Scheme?

5. As Lincolnshire is the only local authority in the country operating such a scheme, when is the earliest opportunity to end the contract with Stamford Endowed Schools?

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