§ MR. WOODS (Essex, Walthamstow)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War what is the object of the circular issued from the War Office, under date 17th November, 1897, calling attention to paragraph 195, Section 206, of the Queen's Regulations, in respect to teaching soldiers a trade, also of the circular issued 15th February, 1898; and whether the Secretary of State for War contemplates allotting annually a sum of money towards the cost of technical instruction to soldiers in the technical schools of the country.
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY of STATE FOR WAR (Mr. WYNDHAM,) DoverThe object of the circular referred to was to encourage the soldier, while serving with the colours, to learn a trade which will be of use to him when he returns to civil life. It is not proposed to allot money to local technical schools. Such schools are precluded, by Section 8 of the Technical Instruction Act of 1889, from teaching the practice of any trade or industry to an unskilled artisan.