HC Deb 12 March 1885 vol 295 cc843-4
DR. CAMERON

asked the Vice President of the Committee of Council, Whether his attention has been called to a memorial from the inhabitants of Lenzie, praying that facilities be given them to erect Lenzie into a School Board district; whether it is the fact that that portion of Lenzie which is in Cadder parish has to pay an education rate of 10d., and that which is in the School Board district of Kirkintolloch a rate of 7d. in the £, and that the public schools provided are so distant and so unsuitable for the requirements of the Lenzie population that a large number of the children have to be sent for education to Glasgow; whether Her Majesty's Inspector, Dr. Kerr, has reported that the alleged deficiency in public school accomodation does actually exist, and calls for immediate remedy; whether Cadder parish is willing to sanction the disjunction for educational purposes of that portion of Lenzie which lies within it; whether the difficulty in the way of submitting the question to a decision of the sheriff does not lie in the fact that no provision is made in the Scottish Education Act for the disjunction of portions of burghal School Board districts; and, whether he will introduce, or would support, if introduced, a short Bill to enable communities included in burghal as well as rural School Board districts to apply to the sheriff for disjunction?

MR. MUNDELLA

A Memorial has been received from the inhabitants of Lenzie to the effect stated in the Question of my hon. Friend, and the facts as set forth in the second paragraph appear to be correct. Dr. Kerr, Her Majesty's Inspector, reports that the public schools at Auchenloch are overcrowded, and those of Kirkintilloch are full. Kirkintilloch objects to the disjunction of Lenzie, while Cadder is willing on certain conditions. We have no power under the Act to separate portions of a parish and a burgh, and unite them under a school board of their own. We think it undesirable to multiply school board areas, and we should prefer that the recommendation of Dr. Kerr was acted upon, and a combination school by the parish and borough set up for Lenzie. We will endeavour to effect this, and secure for the inhabitants of Lenzie a school suitable to their requirements.

DR. CAMERON

asked whether the right hon. Gentleman was aware that the inhabitants of Lenzie did not want combination?

MR. MUNDELLA

Yes Sir; but it would require legislation to separate Lenzie.