Putting facts right as far as school building programme in county

May 7 2009 West Lothian Courier

HOW many faces does Mary Mulligan have?

I ask because of the blatantly contradictory statements she is making about educational investment here in West Lothian.

Firstly, Ms Mulligan wrote to my household in April 2007 and told us: “The SNP have committed to scrapping plans for the new Armadale Academy and all future investment in West Lothian’s school buildings.”

Now she tells us that Armadale Academy was too far advanced for the SNP to cancel.

The only consistency with these to statements both made by Mary Mulligan is that they are both wrong!

The truth is that the new Armadale Academy is well on the way to completion following a decision to build the school.

The new Deans High School is likewise on target to open next session and substantial investment in James Young High School, St Kents and Inveralmond Community High school is well underway.

In addition substantial investment is planned across our primary school network with Bankton and Murieston primaries being excellent examples of new facilities being delivered.

We have made substantial progress in reducing P1-3 class sizes.

From a staring point of just 7.5 per cent of West Lothian’s infants being in a class of 18 or less we are now in a position where 24.8 per cent of our infants are in classes of 18 or less.

This is a substantial achievement and considerable progress.

Strangely Ms Mulligan omits from her letter any mention of the fact that the Labour Government at Westminster has now announced cuts of £500 million in the Scottish budget from next year.

The consequences for West Lothian Council of this public spending cut will be the removal of £5 million from our budget.

From a position of planning to implement free school meals for P1-3 children next year, along with further class size reductions this council is now faced with having to plan to cope with the biggest public spending cuts we have ever seen.

Ands these are Labour cuts which put the Thatcherite years into a whole new perspective.

I wonder why Ms Mulligan forgot to mention this?

Councillor Peter Johnston, Leader of The Council, West Lothian Council.