§ MR. HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)asked the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education, If his personal attention has been drawn to the dilapidated condition of the buildings in which the examinations take place of the 700,000 1740 works annually sent in from the Schools of Art to the national competition at South Kensington; and, if it is a fact that, while foreigners are alleged to be far ahead of us in design even in Home manufactures, the Science and Art Department has no funds available even for the protection of the exhibits from the weather?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT (Sir WILLIAM HART DYKE) (Kent, Dartford)I am aware of the unsatisfactory condition of the building in which the examination of the work sent from the Schools of Art has to be carried on; and I have made strong representations to the Treasury and Office of Works, with the view of having the new permanent buildings taken in hand as soon as possible. During the recent bad weather wet has come through the skylights in places; but effectual precautions have been taken that the Art works shall not suffer.