§ MR. VESEY KNOX (Londonderry)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury (1) whether he is aware that the Scotch Education Grant Act of 1892 contains precisely the same words relating to the fee grant as the Irish Act of the same year, and whether he can explain why, under these circumstances, the Treasury submitted to Parliament in 1893–4 and 1894–5 an estimate of a fixed amount for Ireland but of an increasing amount for Scotland; (2) whether he can explain why the Scotch grant was calculated with reference to the amount of the English Estimates and not with reference to the English grant, as prescribed by the Act; and (3) whether any application was received from the Scotch Education Department or from the Irish National Education Commissioners claiming that the grants for Scotland and Ireland respectively should be calculated with reference to the English grants and not the English Estimates; and, if so, when such application was received?
§ *MR. HANBURYYes, Sir; the words are the same in the two Acts. The amounts submitted to Parliament in the years mentioned were those asked for by the Scotch and Irish Education Departments respectively. The point referred to in the last paragraph of the Question was first raised as regards Scotland in February 1895 and as regards Ireland in February 1896.
§ MR. KNOXDoes the Treasury disclaim all responsibility for the framing of the Estimates referred to in the Question?
§ *MR. HANBURYCertainly. They are submitted by the Commissioners of Education.