§ MR. BOWRINGasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, considering that children of eight years old placed in Industrial Schools are capable of receiving useful industrial training, and that the Government Grant of five shillings per week does not pay the average cost of the children in those Schools, he will be willing to reconsider, so far as respects children between the ages of eight and ten, the announcement contained in the Home Office Circular of the 27th April last that the Grant will in future be reduced to three shillings per week in the case of all newly admitted children between the ages of six and ten years; and, whether he will be willing to lay upon the Table any Correspondence relating to the above-mentioned Circular?
MR. BRUCE, in reply, said, that the reduction to which the Question referred had been made after the most careful consideration, and consultation with the Inspectors. It had been found that the Vote continued to increase from year to year, and it never was intended that the whole cost of these schools should fall on the Imperial Treasury. As the cost of children under 11 was considerably less than after that age, the reduction had been made. He should be most 1903 happy, if the hon. Member would move for it, to lay on the Table the Correspondence on the subject, and he would find that many of the managers of the most important schools entirely approved of the course adopted by the Government.