§ MR. W. SIDEBOTTOM (Derbyshire, High Peak)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education if he is aware that Her Majesty's Inspector has condemned the premises at present used for school purposes by the Bradwell School Board, at the same time informing the Board that no expenditure need be incurred by building a new school, as the National school has accommodation both suitable and ample for the requirements of the population; whether the Education Department, notwithstanding this advice of its representative, has consented to a loan being raised by the Bradwell School Board for the purpose of building a new Board school, thereby inflicting an unnecessary burden on the ratepayers of an exceptionally poor township with a rapidly decreasing population and rateable value; whether this consent has been given notwithstanding the receipt by the Education Department of a largely signed Petition, protesting against such an unnecessary burden, the signatories to which Petition represent more than two-thirds of the rateable value of the township, and more than one-half of the ratepayers; and whether the Department still intends to sanction this loan, and uphold the action of the School Board?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Mr. ACLAND, York, W.R., Rotherham)This is a case in which a school had been carried on by the Board since 1872. The premises having been condemned, the Board were bound, under Section 18 of the Elementary Education Act, 1870, to maintain the school in efficiency by replacing them, unless they made special application to be allowed to discontinue the school; and as they did not ask permission to discontinue it, the Department on their side were equally bound to sanction a reasonable loan for the purpose of replacing it.
§ MR. SIDEBOTTOMMay I ask the Vice President if the Board are bound to do this?
§ MR. ACLANDYes, Sir.
§ In reply to Mr. TALBOT (Oxford University),
§ MR. ACLANDsaid, he had followed the course pursued by his predecessors.