§ MR. BERESFORD HOPEasked the Vice President of the Committee of Council, Whether, considering the widespread inconvenience which is being felt throughout the country by the delay on the part of the Education Department in approving plans for new schools, he proposes to avail himself of additional professional assistance in their examination?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERsaid, in reply, that they had taken powers to obtain assistance in examining plans for new schools; but he must inform the hon. Member that the delay, which was so much to be regretted, was not owing to arrears in the architect's department. He had ascertained that no delay was caused by that fact. Undoubtedly, there was delay in giving answers to many of the applicants, which he deeply regretted; but there was a much greater number of applications than there had ever been before, and the increase came at a time when all other business had increased in the same proportion. They had obtained a good deal of additional assistance, and they were working as hard as they could. They had, indeed, got—or were getting—as many persons to work as could be really employed to expedite the business. He must appeal to those interested to bear in mind that all kinds of work in that department had lately greatly increased.