§ MR. GRANTHAMasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether there is any intention on the part of the Board to compel the Croydon Union, against the wish of the union, to separate from the North Surrey District Schools, situate at Anerley within the limits of the union; and, if so, by what 62 power they can be compelled to separate against their wish, and to incur the very serious expense of purchasing land and building new schools when there is ample land at Anerley for any necessary enlargement of the existing schools?
§ MR. HIBBERTSir, the North Surrey School District comprises three Unions—Wandsworth and Clapham, Lewisham, and Croydon. The population of these Unions has been, and still is, rapidly increasing, and the existing school, which provides accommodation for between 800 and 900 children, has become quite inadequate for the requirements of the district. It has been suggested by the managers of the school district that, under these circumstances, one of the Unions now included in the district should be separated from it. The Local Government Board have been considering whether the difficulty can be met by any other means; but have not yet arrived at a decision on the recommendation of the managers. The Board are empowered by the 7 & 8 Vict. Chap. 101, Section 43, and 30 & 31 Vict. Chap. 106, Section 16, to alter a school district by taking any Union there from. A Union, on its separation from a school district, is entitled to receive from the district the amount of its interest in the property of the district. As regards the suggestion that there is ample land at Anerley for the necessary enlargement of the existing school, the Board consider that it is undesirable to enlarge a school which already provides for between 800 and 900 children.