HC Deb 05 May 1891 vol 353 cc133-6
SIR G. TREVELYAN (Glasgow, Bridgeton)

I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his statement that the Government were anxious to ascertain the views not only of the Scotch Members but of the Scotch people as to the disposal of the grant to be made to Scotland as the equivalent to the educational grant to England, will he kindly indicate in what way he would desire or expect these views to be expressed other than, or in addition to, the expression which has been already given to them by the deputation of representatives of the ratepayers in all the largest centres of the country, which waited on him on the 24th ultimo, and in the communications which have since been addressed to him on behalf of the deputation, intimating the adhesion to the views it urged of numerous Municipal and Parochial Authorities in all parts of Scotland?

MR. HUNTER (Aberdeen, N.)

I wish to ask whether it is not the fact that only a very few members of Parochial Boards are elected, and that the great majority of them are landlords, or the agents of landlords, and that relief to the poor rate would mean that half would go into the pockets of the landlords?

MR. BUCHANAN (Edinburgh, W.)

I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the disposal of the Scottish share of the grant under the Budget, he will give priority to the demand widely felt by all classes in Scotland, that it is urgently necessary that the system of Free Education established in the public schools of Scotland should be completed by setting aside a sum sufficient to free all the standards in these schools?

MR. PARKER SMITH (Lanark, Partick)

I beg also to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his statement that the Government were anxious to ascertain the views not only of the Scottish Members but of the Scottish people as to the disposal of the grant to be made to Scotland as the equivalent to the educational grant to England, what will be the approximate amount of that equivalent; whether strong representations have been received by the Government from important bodies in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Govan, and other places in favour of devoting a portion of that sum to the organisation of higher education throughout Scotland on the lines indicated by the Lord Advocate in his speech in the House of Commons on 3rd February last; whether he has received strong representations from the Scottish University Commissioners that they will be unable, without a further annual grant, to carry out the policy of the Scottish University Act of 1889; and whether, after meeting the requirements of higher education and of the Universities, there would remain a very considerable sum to hand over to the Local Authorities?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GOSCHEN, St. George's,) Hanover Square

The question put to me by the hon. Member for Aberdeen (Mr. Hunter) is rather an argumentative one, and perhaps the hon. Member is in a better position to obtain accurate information on the subject than I am. I will answer the three questions of the right hon. Baronet, the Member for the Western Division of Edinburgh (Mr. Buchanan) and the hon. Member for the Partick Division of Lanarkshire (Mr. Parker Smith) together, but I have, in fact, scarcely anything to add to my reply of yesterday. I think it is scarcely necessary to indicate in what way I should desire or expect views to be expressed other than, or in addition to, the expression which has already been given by sundry deputations and Memorials. Various communications continue to pour in, and the Scotch public, I feel confident, will find the means to make itself heard without any advice from me as to what those means should be. The hon. Member for Edinburgh now knows that it is impossible for me to pledge myself, directly or indirectly, to the satisfaction of the demand which he declares to be widely felt by all classes in Scotland, but which other hon. Members practically declare to be equally, or even more strongly, felt with regard to other applications of the money at the disposal of Scotland. In reply to the hon. Member for the Partick Division, the amount to be paid over, when the schemes under consideration apply to a full financial year, will be a little more than £200,000. Representations have been received, of the nature to which he calls attention, from many important places in Scotland; but I am not prepared to say that they have been on the lines indicated by the Lord Advocate in his speech on February 3 last, as my right hon. Friend did not indicate any special lines on which we were to proceed. I cannot undertake to say whether, after meeting the requirements of higher education and of the Universities, there would remain a considerable sum to hand over to the Local Authorities, as the requirements of higher education seem to me to be of the most extraordinary elasticity.