Governance and management of South Lanarkshire and Glasgow Clyde colleges: FOI release

Information requested

1. Please confirm what action the Scottish Government has taken in relation to the current governance crisis in South Lanarkshire College.

2. Please confirm what action the Scottish Government took in relation to the governance crisis in Clyde College in 2015?

3. Please confirm what role the current Principal of South Lanarkshire College played in the governance crisis at Glasgow Clyde College in 2015.

4. Please confirm what role Thorntons Law LLP, currently providers of legal advice to the Lanarkshire Region, had in relation to the governance crisis at Glasgow Clyde College in 2015.

5. Please confirm what role Brian Baverstock, current governance advisor to the Lanarkshire region, had in relation to the governance crisis at Glasgow Clyde College in 2015.

6. Please confirm if the Scottish Government is in receipt of any whistleblowing complaints from South Lanarkshire College.

Response

Question 1
The Scottish Government has taken no direct action.

Question 2
Some of the information you have requested is available from the parliamentary statement of 8 October 2015 that the former Minister of Further Education, Higher Education and Science Angela Constance made on the matter and is contained here: https://archive2021.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10137&mode=pdf.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Question 3
In her capacity as Director of SG’s Advanced Learning and Science Directorate, Aileen McKechnie provided briefings and advice to Ministers on the governance and management of Glasgow Clyde College during 2015.

Question 4
Thorntons Law were appointed by Glasgow Clyde College Board to advise them on a single disciplinary matter during 2015 (relating to the former Principal of the College).

Question 5
Brian Baverstock acted in his role as Deputy Director of the Learning, Governance and Sustainability Group at the Scottish Funding Council regarding this matter. For more information on this role you may wish to contact the Scottish Funding Council within their own FOI process:
https://www.sfc.ac.uk/about-sfc/how-we-operate/access-information/access-information.aspx.

Question 6
Yes.

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