HC Deb 25 February 1870 vol 199 cc801-2
LORD ROBERT MONTAGU

said, he wished to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education, Whe- ther the words in the Elementary Education Bill "The school shall be open at all times to the inspection of any of Her Majesty's Inspectors," are intended to apply to the ispection of those schools only which may hereafter be built under the Act, and not to schools which now exist and are secured by Trust Deeds which have been framed in accordance with Articles 13 and 30 of the Revised Code; or, on the other hand, whether it is intended to obtain powers to send any one of the inspectors (of whatever religious denomination he may be) to inspect the schools of a different religious denomination; and, if the latter is the intention, to ask whether it will not be necessary to override by Act of Parliament the School Trust Deeds which restrict the inspection to those inspectors who have been appointed for the purpose in the way prescribed by the Revised Code and various Orders in Council?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

replied that the 82nd section of the Education Bill provided that after the 31st of March, 1872, no grant either for building purposes or for an annual allowance could be given to any school that was not a public elementary school. In another clause there was provision made for the acceptance of any inspector of whatever denomination sent down by the Privy Council. He did not believe it was necessary to make any special provision to meet the case assumed by the noble Lord in his last Question. The Committee of Council were advised that there were no school trust deeds which would restrict managers from accepting any inspector; but if there were, the 87th clause would meet the case. If the noble Lord was of a different opinion, he would have an opportunity of stating his reasons for it.