§ *SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucester, Forest of Dean)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education—(1) with regard to the large poor school districts of Waltham stow, West Ham, and the Forest of Dean, in what Return it is recorded that Walthamstow and West Ham received, under Section 97 of the Act of 1870, the grant which will be replaced by the 4s. grant to the Boards which at present come under Section 97; (2) with regard to the relief to be given by the 4s. grant, whether he is aware that, in the case of the Dean Forest, the excess of the new grant over the old will amount only to £88 (on the present year's Estimates the excess would 1246 be nil) in the case of a very large district, in which the rate for the present half-year is 1s. 5d., and the rate for the present year estimated to be required 2s. 11d., the rate to produce nearly £7,000; and (3) whether he will be prepared to consider some improved form of new special grant which will have some effect in reducing the school rate needed to fulfil the requirements of the Education Department in large poor districts?
§ MR. HANBURY (for Sir JOHN (GORST)West Ham and Walthamstow will appear in the Returns of the Education Department of the present year. This Return shall, however, be laid on the Table separately at once. The facts as to Dean Forest are as stated in the second paragraph. The Committee of Council will consider every Scheme for the better application of a special grant to the case of poor school districts that may be brought before them.