No-deal risk to schools as Brexit looms
STEPHEN BARK
Children in South Lanarkshire could lose out on education services as a result of a no-deal Brexit.
Risk registers have been updated across the council, with the education department one of the latest to add a Brexit risk.
A report to the education resources committee on Tuesday, February 19, about the updated risk register and control plan marked Brexit as a “top council risk”.
The report stated: “Failure to agree a deal could have significant impacts on funding and finance, workforce and employment, procurement [and] legislation.
“A no-deal Brexit could place additional demand on services due to reduced growth, higher unemployment, inflationary and other budget pressures, supply chain interruption, customs and regulatory issues.”
Councillor Lynsey Hamilton (Clydesdale West) - Labour group spokesperson for education - felt that it was crucial that the council recognise Brexit as a significant risk if education services are to be protected.
She said: “A majority of the discussion around Brexit focuses on its high-level impacts, however we know that the potential implications of Brexit are huge at the local as well as the national level, particularly in the case of a no-deal exit.
“Identifying and adding nodeal Brexit to the education risk register brings home the reality of the threat Brexit poses, and the implications it could have for local services.
“The health of South Lanarkshire Council’s employability programmes, service procurement and recruitment and retention could all be compromised in the case of a no-deal exit.
“These services allow young people in South Lanarkshire to get the best education possible; any threat to their education is extremely serious and it is therefore vital that the council identifies it as such and takes steps to safeguard the education of young people in all eventualities.”
South Lanarkshire rank the inherent risk on a scale of one to nine, where seven to nine are considered as the biggest risks. Brexit scored nine.
Lib Dem councillor Robert Brown (Rutherglen South) was left dumbfounded that the council has been forced to add the Brexit risk.
He said: “It is quite astonishing that the council is having to look at the implications of Brexit in its risk register. Yet this reflects the problem faced by the vast majority of significant private companies too - every day we hear of companies having to spend money unnecessarily to deal with the risks of Brexit.
“Brexit remains a rolling disaster and the sooner it is stopped the better. The only sensible way forward I can see is to refer it back to the people in a People’s Vote on the terms - with an option to stay in the European Union.”
A spokesperson for the SNP administration at the council added: “The uncertainty of Brexit is already taking its toll on the education sector. The hostile environment created by the UK Government towards EU citizens is causing teachers across the country to consider their future.
“More than that, ending free movement of people and scrapping Erasmus will limit the life chances of our young people, ending their ability to live, work and travel across 27 different countries.
“Scotland voted to remain within the EU, which has been ignored by Westminster. It is time the Prime Minister stopped her pursuit of a hard Brexit and backed the Scottish Government’s compromise position of remaining in the single market and customs union.”