§ MR. CONWAY (Leitrim, N.)asked the Vice President of the Committee of Council, Whether honourable Members are to understand from the Correspondence laid upon the Table of the House in connection with the Dan-y-graig (Swansea) School, that Article 18 of the Education Act of 1870 gives to School Boards the exclusive right to provide all future Elementary School accommodation, so that it is only by concession on their part that new Voluntary Schools can be opened; whether what is believed to be the present practice of the Department (as illustrated by Letter 38 in the Correspondence alluded to), namely, to defer to the opinion of the School Boards, even when it differs from their own, is in conformity with the Act; whether the Education Department can shift on to a School Board the responsibility of declaring a school to be unnecessary; whether the conditions of Article 8 apply at all times when the erection of a new school is contemplated; and, whether the converse of Article 98 of the Act of 1870 is so that unless they themselves consider a school to be unnecessary, they are bound to give it grants?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Sir LYON PLAYFAIR) (Leeds, S.)By Section 18 of the Act of 1870 a school board is bound to provide a sufficient amount of school accommoda- 1164 tion in their district. If the rates become burdened for this purpose, the Department only admit other schools to participation in the annual grants on the acquiescence of the school board which has provided the deficiency. The Education Department have no power to shift, and do not shift, any responsibility on to a school board. The conditions referred to in Section 8 do not relate to the question whether a school shall have annual grants. I am not sure that I understand the Question as to the converse of Section 98; but if it means that the Department is bound to give annual grants to every school which they consider necessary, the answer is in the affirmative.