§ MR. SEXTON (Belfast, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in equalising the position of the Irish primary training 1127 colleges, account will be taken, in the case of the non-official colleges, of the special annual charges arising against their credit funds, owing to the disadvantage resulting from inequality of treatment up to the present time?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURAs the hon. Gentleman is aware, I have been long anxious to put all the training colleges on an equality, but I have always been reluctant to adopt any scheme for carrying out this object which would, as one of its incidental results, produce injustice. I think I may say that I have now hit upon a plan by which absolute equality of treatment will be obtained for all the training colleges, including the college in Marlborough Street, Dublin. In that scheme the only loss will fall upon the Exchequer, and to this my right hon. Friend has consented. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has given me permission to state this as his broad policy.
§ MR. SEXTONWill the right hon. Gentleman say how soon the decision of the Government will be made public?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURProbably in the course of the autumn or in the early part of the year. It will be laid before Parliament, but it will be found that the result is as I have stated.