§ MR. H. F. H. ELLIOT (Ayrshire, N.)asked the Lord Advocate, Whether his attention has been drawn to a Motion on the Notice Paper "That a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the operation of 'The Educational Endowments (Scotland) Act, 1882'"; and, whether the Government will give its consent to the proposed inquiry?
§ THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. H. A. MACDONALD) (Edinburgh and St. Andrew's Universities)The attention of the Government has been called to the Motion standing in the name of the hon. Member; but they do not consider that, even if such an inquiry as is proposed should hereafter be thought necessary, the present would be a suitable time for it, inasmuch as the Educational Endowments Commission is approaching the period when its term of office expires, and such a Committee, while it might disturb and delay operations now going on, would not be in a position to review the work of the Commission as a whole, or to give any practical advice to Parliament, with respect to its results, before the expiry of the powers under the Act.