§ MR. MACLURE) (Lancashire, S.E., StretfordI beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education whether his attention has been directed to a correspondence which has passed between the school managers and ratepayers of the school district of Stretford, in the County of Lancaster, and the Education Department, on the subject of the public elementary school accommodation for the said district; and, if so, whether, in view of the facts set forth in the letters addressed to the Department—namely, the large number of vacant places in existing schools, the close contiguity of numerous schools convenient for the infantile population in adjoining districts, and the general results attained by a recent school census, he will giant the prayer of the Memorial of the school managers and ratepayers, that a local inquiry might be held for the purpose of enabling those persons directly interested in the subject to be fully heard; whether it is within his knowledge that the Department has withheld this inquiry notwithstanding the offer of the local School Attendance Committee to accept the responsibility of the costs thereof; and whether, if the personal bond demanded were now forthcoming, the Education Department would direct a public inquiry to be held?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Mr. ACLAND,) York, W.R., RotherhamA public inquiry in this case was asked for on the 26th September last, and after some correspondence the Department, in accordance with Section 73 of the Education Act of 1870, sent a draft bond for security for the expenses of the inquiry. The applicants, however, failed to complete the bond. I am not aware that any offer has been made on the part either of the School Attendance Committee or of any private individual to give security for the expenses of the 1137 inquiry. If the applicants even now give the security required, the inquiry will be held. But the Act does not authorise the Department to accept security from any other party than the applicants.