MR. J. CARVELL WILLIAMS (Notts, Mansfield)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education with reference to the statement contained in the Circular of the Education Department of the 18th of April, to the Associations formed under the Voluntary Schools Act, that any deficit incurred for the payment of debts contracted before the passing of the Act will not be recognised by the Department as within the objects of the Aid Grant; whether it is intended to refer only to schemes for the future appropriation of the grant; or whether it includes the schemes already received for the first appropriation thereof?
§ SIR J. GORSTThe Circular was issued after the first appropriation of the grant. It does not, therefore, deal with that appropriation, but with future ones. The first appropriation was made in accordance with the opinion of the Law Officers, on which the Circular was based.