§ MR. EVELYN CECIL (Hertfordshire, Hertford)I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education whether, in view of the auditor of the London School Board having disallowed important items of expenditure in connection with science and art classes under the Board, the Education Department will take steps to prevent the Board from continuing to incur this illegal expenditure for the new school year, beginning next September, in defiance of the auditor's decision; whether continued illegal action by the Board renders it liable to be declared in default; and what steps will the Department take.
§ THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON EDUCATION (Sir J. GORST,) Cambridge UniversityThe Committee of Council have no reason to believe that the London or any other School Board will deliberately break the law. But it is not their duty to supervise the expenditure by School Boards of the school rate, and they are advised that anillegal application of such rate would not justify them in declaring a School Board in default.
MR. JAMES LOWTHER (Kent, Thanet)Is my right hon. friend aware that the School Board referred to has, within his own knowledge, specifically broken the law?
§ SIR J. GORSTIt is not within my official knowledge. I have seen in the ordinary channels of information that the Auditor has surcharged certain items, but I am also informed, through the same channels, that the London School Board has appealed against the decision.