HC Deb 15 March 1897 vol 47 cc679-80
MR. HERBERT LEWIS (Flint Boroughs)

I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education from what source the money required for the administrative work of the associations, intended to be constituted by the Voluntary Schools Bill, will be derived?

SIR JOHN GORST

This Question will be answered by the First Lord of the Treasury. [Ironical Opposition cheers and laughter.]

MR. F. A. CHANNING (Northampton, E.)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the associations to be authorised under the Voluntary Schools Bill will be entitled, in drawing up schemes for the distribution of the aid grant, to insert in such schemes claims for the whole or any portion of the expenses of such associations for staff, offices, inspection, examination, or for any duties discharged by them in aiding in the administration of the Act, or whether the regulations of the Department will prohibit the application of any part of the aid grant to other purposes than the actual educational expenditure of the individual schools to which the Department after approving the schemes is to distribute the grant; and, in the latter case, whether any regulation will be made by the Department to prohibit the managers of any school receiving the aid grant, from paying, or being called upon to pay, any sum from their ordinary income towards the expenses of the associations, and disallowing any such item from the school accounts?

MR. LEWIS

Will the right hon. Gentleman also reply to my Question? [Laughter.]

THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY

The money for working the associations will not be provided out of the aid grants, but will have to be found for the associations by those interested in the prosperity of Voluntary Schools.

MR. CHANNING

Will the right hon. Gentleman answer the last part of my Question—whether any regulation will be made to prevent the indirect application of the grant to the expenses of the associations by a levy made upon the managers?

THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY

The aid grant will have to be paid for the ordinary purposes of school maintenance. It cannot be diverted, as the hon. Gentleman supposes, for purposes connected with the association.