§ MR. COLSTON (Gloucester, Thornbury)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education if he will state what inquiry was held in the case of Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire, before ordering the election of a School Board; and whether the managers of the voluntary schools had signified to the Education Department their intention to provide for any deficiency of school places which might arise from the closing of one of the schools?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Mr. ACLAND,) York, W.R., RotherhamThe Department made inquiry into the circumstances of the case through Her Majesty's Inspector, who visited the locality for that purpose. 433 The managers of the national schools signified the intention mentioned in the question. A Memorial signed by 65 residents and ratepayers, and showing a strong feeling in favour of the provision of a school by a School Board, had, however, been received by the Department; and it was, moreover, necessary to make immediate provision for about 120 children who had been attending the British school. This immediate provision, by means of the School Board taking over the British school, could only be supplied by action under Section 12(2) of the Act of 1870, which was intended to meet such cases, and the Board was accordingly formed under that section.