§ MR. J. E. YORKEasked the Vice President of the Council, Whether it is still his intention to issue a Minute, imposing a two guinea limit on the maintenance expenses of Board Schools this Session; and, if so, when such Minute will be laid on the Table of the House?
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONSir, at the time I indicated our intention of issuing a Minute to limit the excessive expenditure in certain elementary schools, I showed the necessity for some such action by giving the figures relating both to the fees paid as well as to the cost of maintenance per child in the schools of the London School Board. Since then, I find that the London School Board have themselves proposed an inquiry into their expenditure, which inquiry is about to commence immediately. The justice of the criticisms which I was compelled to make being, therefore, to a certain extent admitted, I think that it would be only fair to the School Board that the Education Department should postpone taking any action until we have given time to the Board themselves to initiate and carry out the reductions which may appear necessary to them. We shall, therefore, postpone, but not abandon, our intention of issuing a Minute to reduce excessive expenditure in schools purporting to be elementary.