§ * MR. CALDWELL (Lanark, Mid)I beg to ask the Lord Advocate, if he can explain how that in the Return just issued "Schools (Scotland) Number of Scholars, &c.," there is given in the summary as the actual average attendance for the year ended on 30th September 1897, 609,061, whilst in Return [C. 9,263] the average number of scholars in attendance on the Annual Grant List is given as 611,205, and for the inspected schools as 605,776 for the same year; similarly, as regards the number of scholars on the Register, 721,588, as compared with 724,268 on the Annual Grant List, and 717,747 on the registers of inspected schools; and, whether any and what number of scholars are included in the 609,061 and 721,588 respectively as being the number of children for whom additional attendances were allowed in respect of Article 23 (b) 1 (a) and Article 23 (b) 1 (b) of the Code.
§ * MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAYThe honourable Member's figures are correct, except that he has given certain figures for 1897 which properly belong to 1898. It is true that the slight discrepancy pointed out exists, but it is unavoidable. The Department is unable to give the particulars in the first-named Return with respect to all Schools on the Annual Grant List, because some of these schools had not been on the List for a year, and the statistics were therefore incomplete. On the other hand, in order to make the Return more accurate, it did not follow strictly the numbers of inspected schools. Had it done so, it would have included schools inspected twice, and omitted others paid without inspection. The totals given in the last paragraph include the children for whom additional attendances were allowed, but do not include the attendances so allowed.