HC Deb 26 July 1894 vol 27 cc1000-1
MR. CHANNING (Northampton, E.)

I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education is he aware that, as the result of a Petition demanding free schooling, the Education Department wrote to the London School Board on 15th May, 1893, saying that the Board should at once begin to build for 600 places on the St. George's Row site (Westminster, X 1); that on 1st August, 1893, they repeated this recommendation, adding that the circumstances call for the immediate provision of the school, and refusing to sanction the abandonment of the site on the ground of the delay that would be involved; and that the Board in reply to this suggestion wrote on the 19th April, 1894, saying that, if their Lordships so desire, they will erect a temporary school, while refusing to build a permanent one; whether he is aware that nothing has been done towards the provision of this school; and whether, seeing that more than a year has elapsed since Her Majesty's Inspector reported that the free places were needed and the Department wrote that the provision of the school was immediately required, he will take steps to secure to the parents their statutory rights?

THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Mr. ACLAND,) York, W.R., Rotherham

The facts are substantially as stated in the question. I believe that nothing has yet been done by the Board towards providing a school upon the site referred to. I have now directed a letter to be sent to the Board, stating that they should at once proceed with the erection of a temporary school, and I will consider what further steps it may be necessary to take, if they do not at once proceed to provide it.