§ SIR C. CAMERON (Glasgow, College)I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether his attention has been called to statements that notwithstanding the introduction of free education the authorities of certain public schools in the Highlands still insist on pupils bringing peats to school ostensibly for the purpose of providing fuel for heating the school; and whether such an imposition is sanctioned by the Public Education Department; and, if not, whether that Department will take steps to put an end to it?
§ SIR G. TREVELYANI am not aware of any case in which children are required to bring peats to school. I have seen a reference to the matter in a public journal, but no special School Board was named. It appears to me to be equivalent to a charge for fuel, and this the Department have ruled not to be permissible in schools where the fee grant is claimed on the ground that education is free.