Scotland’s ‘most pointless quango’ has spent £250,000 of taxpayers’ money since it last did any work – almost four years ago.
The School Closure Review Panels (SCRP), which looks at plans to shut educational facilities, hasn’t been needed since 2021.
Yet its latest annual report shows it spent £83,306 in 2023-24 – up 6 per cent on the previous year – including a 17 per cent increase in fees paid to its ten members.
Convener Colin Morrison wrote: ‘While there were no school closure decisions for review… I am confident we have a highly skilled team in place to meet the task of review should that arise.’
William Yarwood, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance campaign group, said: ‘The SCRP is surely Scotland’s most pointless quango – despite stiff competition.
‘For years, it’s lain fallow yet has still managed to burn through a decent chunk of change, all funded of course by overburdened taxpayers. The Scottish Government needs to shut down this body and reassign its functions.’
The SCRP was established in 2015. It was previously the job of civil servants to check that town halls had properly consulted local communities on closures.
The quango has an office in Edinburgh, a convener appointed by ministers and nine panellists drawn from social work, education, business and the law.
Since its inception, it has spent more than £750,000, including £83,716 in fees and expenses for officials. It has made only nine rulings – with each costing the taxpayer around £84,000.
In its last decisions, in 2021, it denied Falkirk Council permission to shut Bothkennar and Limerigg rural primaries in Skinflats and Slamannan, respectively. However, both had already been mothballed.
Between 2022 and 2024, it spent £222,174 on administration, including staff costs, office overheads and payroll services.
Documents show Mr Morrison and the panellists received fees and expenses of £10,424, while training cost a further £4,106. Bills for legal advice and annual reports came to £2,414.
One panellist – advocate Roddy MacLeod – has been a member since 2021 but has had no duties.
Mr Morrison will hold his post until July 2028, earning around £4,500 per year for the 20-day annual time commitment.
He said the panels are statutory bodies that have to be kept in a ‘state of readiness’, adding: ‘We do our best to ensure we provide a high-quality service which delivers best value.’
Scottish Tory finance spokesman Craig Hoy said: ‘This is a prime example of the jaw-dropping levels of waste under the SNP government.’
The Scottish Government said the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 made it a requirement to have a pool of panel members available to conduct reviews.