MR. T. CARVELL WILLIAMS (Notts, Mansfield)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education whether, notwithstanding that in June 1895 the Education Department, in reply to their request, informed the Town Council of Heywood that an Older would be forthwith issued for the election of a School Board for the borough, the Department has now, after a third request from the Town Council, declined to issue the Order, alleging that that body does not represent the wishes of a majority of the ratepayers; whether the Department has any authority under Section 12 of the Education Act of 1870 to refuse for such a reason to act upon a statutory resolution of a municipal corporation in favour of the formation of a School Board, and whether there is any precedent for the adoption of such a course; and whether the land has been acquired 950 or more than a small portion of the required funds has been raised, for the additional school accommodation which, it is stated, is in course of being supplied, and how long a time is likely to elapse before such accommodation is provided?
§ MR. HANBURY (on behalf of Sir J. GORST)The Department has declined to issue the Order. The words of Section 12 of the Elementary Education Act of 1870 are: "The Education Department may, if they think fit, cause a School Board to be formed. These words vest a, discretion in the Department." There is a precedent for the course taken, in the case of Winchester in 1875. As regards the concluding part of the hon. Member's Question, the Department has made inquiries of the inspector, but have not yet received a reply.