§ MR. PICTON (Leicester)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education whether the number of school places provided by the National Society are in all cases reckoned at eight square feet per child in average attendance; whether there have been within the last three years any cases in which the average attendance has exceeded the number allowable at eight square feet per child; and, if so, whether the grant or any portion has been withheld; and whether, in any of the newer schools of the National Society, the space allowed is more than eight square feet per child; and, if so, how many?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Sir W. HART DYKE,) Kent, DartfordThe hon. Member is mistaken as to the functions of the National Society which does not provide schools, but the accommodation in schools connected with it was, up to the date of last year's Code, provided on the same basis as that in schools connected with the Wesleyan Body or the British and Foreign School Society, namely, that of eight square feet per child. In some cases this has, no doubt, been exceeded, but never without a warning that the grant will be endangered if such a state of things is allowed to continue. For the rule to which new schools must now conform, I can only refer the hon. Member to Art. 85 of the Code.