Schools plot is a myth

With regard to your report (7 February) that "a combination of MSPs from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP are pushing" to remove charitable status from fee-paying schools, no such combination including Liberal Democrat MSPs exists.

Our group unanimously supports an approach to the issue of fee-paying schools retaining charitable status in which each school would demonstrate to the charity regulator that it did deliver public benefit by, for example, providing scholarships for free or reduced-fee places, providing free or cheap access to its sporting or arts facilities to local community groups, using its staff to contribute to teacher training, in-service training, curriculum development and co-operative classes with local schools and involving its pupils in community activities.

The schools would know that if they slackened off in providing these public benefits, they would endanger their charitable status. The quality of each school as an educational establishment would continue to be checked by government inspectors, as at present. So, there is no plot involving Liberal Democrats. Instead, we will argue our case openly in committee and Parliament.

DONALD GORRIE, MSP

Liberal Democrat spokesperson on the Charity Law Reform Bill

Scottish Parliament