§ MR. TOMLINSON (Preston)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education, with reference to Holy Trinity National Schools, Preston, whether, in view of the fact that a large fund is now being raised for the purpose of dealing with structural defects and incomplete accommodation in the National schools of the borough, a great part of which has been already raised, and that careful consideration has been given to the best mode of supplying such deficiencies found to exist in these schools, and that the only requirement as to which difficulty is felt is the substitution of straight stairs for the existing spiral ones, which have been used for a considerable time without accident, and are believed by the managers to be safer than straight ones, a reasonable amount of time will be given for meeting this requirement, and the withholding of the grant will not be peremptorily insisted on if the stairs cannot be rebuilt by the end of October next?
§ MR. ACLANDThe managers of this school have submitted plans, which have been approved, for the necessary alterations to the buildings, including the substitution of safer staircases for the existing spiral ones, which the Department consider dangerous for young children. I will consider whether a short prolongation of the time allowed for the alterations is desirable.