§ MR. CALDWELL (Glasgow, St. Rollox)I beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether, in arriving at the decision placing the Episcopal school on the annual grant list, the Scotch Education Department took into consideration the statement of the School Board of Ardchattan and Muckairn of 17th September last, that the number of children on the roll of the Episcopal school was only 16; whether the Department made any, and, if so, what inquiry to clear up the discrepancy between the number so given by the School Board, and the number (38), given to the Department by the Episcopal school authorities; what were understood by the Department to be the number on the roll and in average attendance at the time of its being placed on the grant list; upon what date was the decision of the Department 148 communicated to the School Board; and whether the Department has received any contradiction of the statement of the School Board that on the 26th January last there were only 19 children on the roll of the Episcopal school, and only 13 in attendance that day, four of these being the children of the teachers who came to the district about a month ago, whilst the School Board had been informed that one of the 19 had gone to the Board School?
§ MR. J. P. B. ROBERTSONAll the information furnished was taken into consideration by the Scotch Education Department before the decision to place the Episcopal School on the Annual Grant List was arrived at. The School Board's letter of 17th September did not state the number of children on the roll of the Episcopal School, but the last return which had been received from the Board at that date gave the number as 40. The discrepancy which has been referred to is that between the statements which preceded the decision, and the statement made by the School Board on 8th January last, after the decision had been announced. When the decision was arrived at there were stated to be 24 children attending the school. The decision of the Department was communicated to the School Board on the 9th December last. My lords are in communication with the managers of the School in reference to the Board statement of 26th of January, as it is desirable to clear up any discrepancy. But I may remind the hon. Member that the crucial element in the case is the existence of a certain number of children for whom the School is specially required. The time when the parents arrived does not affect the decision.