§ SIR JOSEPH BAILEYasked the President of the Local Government Board, as to the parishes of Stretton Grandisome and Eggleton, in the county of Hereford, Whether it is the intention of the Government under "The Divided Parishes Act, 1876," to separate the parcel of Whitwick from the parish of which it forms part; whether the above named parishes constitute a school district, of which Whitwick is one-fifth portion; whether, the school having been built to accommodate the children of Whitwick, the proposed division will result in laying a heavier charge than at present on the areas of the remaining four-fifths of the districts; whether an answer will be given on the merits to the representation made to the Local Government Board by the rector on behalf of the parishes; and, whether the wishes of the inhabitants will have any weight with the Government in any pending arrangements?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELLSir, Whitwick is a part of the parish of Stretton Grandisome, but is entirely separated from that parish; and, after an inquiry in the district, we issued an Order in November last, under the Divided Parishes Act of 1876, annexing the isolated part of Stretton Grandisome to one of the parishes which it adjoins. This isolated part consists of 376 acres, and has only one farmhouse and two cottages, and the Divided Parishes Act was passed for the express purpose of providing for the annexation to an adjoining parish of an isolated part of a parish, such as that in the present case. Stretton Grandisome and Eggleton form one school district, and the 376 acres in the isolated part are about one-fifth of the total acreage of the school district. There is not, however, any school board for this district; and, as there is no school board rate, the separation of Whitwick does not necessitate a higher charge on the remaining part of the parish in respect of the school. But, assuming that there was a school board, it appeared at the time of the inquiry that the children from the two cottages attended a school in another parish, and 1371 if the children from these two cottages attended the schools at Stretton we should not consider it a sufficient ground for not dealing with this isolated part of the parish. We will inform the rector of our views on the question. As we have received an objection from five ratepayers, who constitute one-tenth of the ratepayers, the Order becomes provisional, and we must submit it to Parliament for confirmation.
§ SIR JOSEPH BAILEYasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government, under the Divided Parishes Act, to increase the parish of Putley, in the county of Hereford, by about one-fifth; whether the schools have been increased at the request of the Education Department to meet the wants of the parish as it at present exists; whether any further increase of the schools will be necessary for the enlarged parish, throwing greater expense on the ratepayers; whether the parish has appealed against the proposed action of Her Majesty's Government; and, whether the wish of the parish, if again clearly expressed, would have any weight with Her Majesty's Government in any pending arrangements?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELLSir, this is a case in which we have issued an Order, under the Divided Parishes Act, 1876, annexing to a parish two parts of the parish of Woolhope, which are entirely separated from that parish and adjoin the parish of Putley. We have no reason to doubt that the effect will be to increase the area of Putley by one-fifth. The Question as to school accommodation belongs to the Education Department rather than to us. An Order under the Act which I have mentioned does not affect school districts unless the Education Department gives their consent. In the present case the Department have given that consent. We have received an objection, signed by 10 ratepayers; the Order has become provisional, and we intend to submit the Order to Parliament for confirmation.