§ MR. HARRY S. FOSTER (Suffolk, Lowestoft)I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education if he will state upon what clause or clauses in the Education Act of 1870 is based the practice of the department in always refusing to recognise additional school accommodation in any voluntary school in a school board area without the support of the school board of that district; and whether, in view of the strong and unanimous opinion of the Royal Commission on Education and the strong desire of the supporters of voluntary schools, he will consider the advisability of endeavouring to alter the law on the subject?
§ MR. ACLANDThe law on this matter is contained in Clauses 18 and 98 of the Elementary Education Act of 1870. The Government are not prepared to introduce legislation with a view of amending the Act of 1870 in regard to these matters. It should be borne in mind that no proposal in this sense was made by the late Government during the four years after the Royal Commission reported.