§ MR. GREGORYsaid, he wished to ask the Vice President of the Council, If Her Majesty's Government, in compliance with the recommendation of the Schools Inquiry Commission, have determined on instituting a special inquiry into the state and effects of technical education abroad?
§ LORD ROBERT MONTAGUsaid, in reply, that to issue a Commission for this purpose would be what Mr. Robert Malet, in a letter to the Schools Inquiry Commission, called, "giving the Commissioners a holiday excursion at the public expense." The best suggestion was contained in the same letter of Mr. Malet. It appeared there were six countries in which there was a system of technical education — France, Belgium, Prussia, Austria, Bavaria, and Switzerland, and all possible information on the subject would be found in those countries in a printed form. The best thing would be for the Government to collect that information by means of its diplomatic agents, condense, and publish it.
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERsaid, he was glad to hear that the Government would make use of the services of the Secretaries of Legation, for they had lately shown what excellent Reports they could make. He trusted they would not be merely asked to send the printed documents, but would be requested to furnish Reports.
LORD STANLEYsaid, he was quite ready to give all the assistance which the Foreign Office could give to this inquiry. As to the precise part which Secretaries of Legation should take in it, he thought that that might well be left to be settled between the Educational Department and the Foreign Office.