§ MR. HOWARD (Middlesex, Tottenham)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education whether, in view of the action of the London County Council with respect to increasing the rating of voluntary school building's, the Government will promote legislation to exempt public elementary schools from rating, so as to prevent the extinction of many voluntary schools?
§ SIR W. HART DYKEIf the threatened steps to increase the rating of elementary schools are seriously intended, a large number of voluntary schools must inevitably be closed, and in order to avert such a disaster there can be no doubt that the demand for the exemption of all public elementary schools from rating will, in the general interests of the ratepayers, become more pressing, but at this stage of the proceedings it would, I think, be premature to pledge the Government to any particular course of action.