HC Deb 01 March 1897 vol 46 cc1328-9
Mr. F. A. CHANNING (Northampton, E.)

I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education whether he is aware that the Sutton-in-Ashfield School Board in 1885 made an application for arrears of grants under Section 97 of the Elementary Education Act, 1870; that the Department then replied that, owing to the Circular of 1881, they were unable to pay more than the grant for the then current year, 1885, and the preceding year, 1884; and that after further correspondence the Department received a deputation from the Board, and ultimately allowed the Board the grant for a third year, the year 1883; and whether he will lay the Correspondence and the Minutes of the interview with the deputation, and any other documents in the case, upon the Table of the House?

THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Sir JOHN GORST,) Cambridge University

The application of the Sutton-in-Ashfield School Board was made in December, 1884, for the grant for the year ending 29th September, 1884, and for the previous year. The School Board alleged that the accounts for the previous year had not been audited till April 1884. The application for the year ending 29th September, 1883, was twice refused, but after an interview, which took place in April, 1885, and of which no memorandum appears to have been kept, was granted. I can show the hon. Member the correspondence in which the arrears were refused, but there is no record of the reasons for which it was ultimately granted.

MR. CHANNING

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he can state on what grounds the grant was given originally?

SIR J. GORST

No, Sir, I cannot state on what grounds, because the interview took place first in the year 1885, that is 12 years ago, and of that no record appears to have been kept in the office. Therefore I am in the dark as to the reason.

MR. CHANNING

I am not speaking of the interview, but of the refusal by a letter of the Department.

SIR J. GORST

I will show the hon. Member the letter if he wishes; it was a refusal on the ground that it could not be paid.

MR. H. J. WILSON (York, W.R., Holmfirth)

Has the right hon. Gentleman any objection to tell the House as well as to show the correspondence?

SIR J. GORST

Not the slightest. I stated the other night that it was declined on the ground that, under the circular of 1881, the grant for 1883 could not be paid, because it was not asked for in time.

MR. CHANNING

If I move for the correspondence, will it be put on the table?

SIR J. GORST

Certainly.