§ MR. FLOWERI beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education, whether the Department have done anything, and, if so, what, to assist the formation of local authorities for secondary education; and if the Department are exercising their influence to secure that such authorities shall contain at least one-third of their number members of school boards?
§ SIR J. GORSTThe Committee of Council have assisted in the formation of local organisations for the promotion of science and art instruction in their districts. The Committee of Council have no power to prescribe the proportion of representatives of school boards.
§ MR. FLOWERMay I ask whether the Committee of Council will not in any case in which their advice is sought recommend the adoption of the proposal of the Royal Commission?
§ MR. YOXALL (Nottingham, W.)Does not the Committee of Council decline to adopt that recommendation?
§ SIR J. GORSTThey have no direct power to decline to recommend these bodies, and they have no power to prescribe the exact proportion of representatives of school boards.
§ MR. FLOWERWill they recommend in any case the adoption of the proposal of the Royal Commission?
§ SIR J. GORSTI could not undertake that they will advise a fixed proportion of such representatives. The Committee of Council always advise the organisations to have representatives of school boards, but sometimes there are no school boards engaged in science and art instruction to be represented.
§ MR. LEUTY (Leeds, E.)Are not the Department, by not making the recommendation, practically departing from the recommendation of the Royal Commission?
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! The honourable Member is going beyond the Question; he must give notice.