§ MR. COBB (Warwick, S.E., Rugby)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education -whether he is aware that the public elementary school at Ratley, in Warwickshire, has been closed since the 29th of June, and that no intimation has been 984 given to the inhabitants that it will be re-opened; whether communications from Ratley were made to the Department on the 4th and 16th of July and on the 1st of August, and a reply was sent on the 25th of July saying that a letter had been written to the managers of the school, but that no answer had been received from them; whether any answer has yet been received from the managers; and, if so, to what effect; and whether any and what steps will be taken by the Department to ensure that there shall be proper elementary education at Ratley?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Mr. ACLAND,) York, W.R., RotherhamThe Department were informed by the managers of this school on the 24th of July that the ordinary summer holidays were being given this year in July and the beginning of August instead of August and the beginning of September as previously, and that the school would be re-opened in the second week in August. This letter was received just after the letter from the Department, mentioned in the question, had been put forward. I do not know whether the school has been re-opened yet, but I will inquire. There is nothing irregular in the case so far as appears.