§ MR. SNAPE (Lancashire, S.E., Heywood)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education if he is aware the Schedule issued by the Liverpool School Board to school managers provides for free education being allowed under two headings only— namely, cases belonging to a family of which other members are already attending without fees by reason of poverty, and fresh cases of poverty, which Schedule cannot be filled up without the manager's inquiry into the circumstances of the parents; and whether any inquiry as to the poverty of the parents as a condition of granting claims for free education is contrary to the law; and, if so, whether he will give instructions to that effect to the Liverpool School Board?
§ MR. ACLANDOne of the forms issued under the authority of the Liverpool School Board, containing the words "Lists of applications for Free Education," contains also headings under which applications are allowed on the ground of poverty. No doubt some form of inquiry must be necessary in order to fill up these forms. I am not able to say whether such a form is contrary to the law, but it is entirely out of harmony with the spirit of the Act of 1891. The Department have addressed a strong remonstrance to the Board.
§ MR. LAWRENCE (Liverpool, Abercromby)May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, inasmuch as the Liverpool School Board does provide free education within the terms of the Act to all parents applying therefor, the statement in the first paragraph of the hon. Member's question is not as a matter of fact a suggestion of that which is not the case?
§ MR. ACLANDI cannot offer a legal opinion, but I may say the present action of the Board is the strongest argument I have yet had in favour of an alteration of the law.
§ MR. LAWRENCEWill the right hon. Gentleman tell me under what Act any parent can demand free education at a particular school? Is he aware this agitation is against the old policy of the Board, set out in print long before the last Board was elected, and never in the least impugned?
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order?
§ MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)May I ask if the Liverpool School Board are not acting in accordance with Act of Parliament, and on what authority he says they are acting in a deliberate way contrary to the spirit of the Act?
§ MR. ACLANDI venture to assert that both sides of the House when they passed the Act desired to do away with any poverty distinction. In the present case the Liverpool Board are not doing that.