§ MR. JAMES CAMPBELL (Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities)I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether he has now received Reports from all the County and Burgh Committees to which he submitted the question of distribution of the grant for secondary education in Scotland; whether he is prepared to state bow many of those Committees have reported in favour of the method of distribution proposed in the Minute of the Scotch Education Department of 31st January last, and how many have reported in favour of some other method of distribution; and whether the grant will be distributed in accordance with the Reports of the majority of the County and Burgh Committees to which the question of distribution was referred?
§ THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Sir GEORGE TREVELYAN,) Glasgow, BridgetonFull Reports have been received from several, but not all, of the County and Burgh Committees, but replies have been received from all to the Circular of the 1st March, in which their opinion was requested as to the alternative methods of distribution. Of 39 Committees, 24 are in favour of the principle embodied in the Minute of the 31st January, and 15 prefer a local distribution. The course now to be pursued is under consideration, and I shall shortly lay before the House a new Minute, which may, I trust, be accepted as a 756 reasonable compromise between the conflicting views.
§ DR. MACGREGOR (Inverness-shire)May I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman is aware that an arrangement which would suit the burghs in the South of Scotland would not suit the rural districts in the North, and whether he will be prepared to make a different arrangement for the Highlands?
§ SIR G. TREVELYANI am aware that the conditions of several parts of Scotland are extremely different. I shall take into consideration, as far as possible, the condition of the Highlands. I am well aware that they are under a disadvantage under the local distribution as compared with the distribution under the Minute of the 31st January.