§ MR. DIAMOND (Monaghan, N.)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education whether he has any official knowledge of Kensington local examinations held under the auspices of a body styling itself the Society of Science, Letters, and Art of London, with an address in Holland Road, Kensington, and which awards certificates, medals, honours, &c.; whether these examinations have any connection with any Government department, and whether the certificates are of any value in any Government examination; and whether he can take steps to put a stop to proceedings which appear to be a colourable and misleading imitation of certain examinations conducted by authority?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Mr. ACLAND,) York, W.R., RotherhamI am informed that there is a body calling itself the Society of Science, Letters, and Art of London, which, in its prospectus, states that it holds what are called the Kensington local examinations, and also awards medals, &c. The society has no connection with the Science and Art Department, South Kensington, and none of its certificates are recognised by the Government. I will further look into this matter, but in any case it is very desirable that the difference between the 551 work of the Science and Art Department and that of this society should be known by the public.