§ MR. CALDWELL (Lanark, Mid)I beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether, having regard to the statement that Scotland would receive a sum of £80,000 per annum, under the Education (Scotland) Act, 1897, whilst the amount borne on the Imperial Estimates for the current year in respect thereof consists only of an additional sum of £24,000 for necessitous school boards, of £12,600 for voluntary schools, and of £5,000 to keep up the capitation fee grant to 12s. per child, making in all a total of only £41,600, or £38,400 per annum less than that calculated, the Government will re-consider the amount of grant payable to Scotland under the said Act.
§ * THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. A. GRAHAM MURRAY, Buteshire)The honourable Member is labouring under a misconception. If, as I assume, he refers to the statement made by me on the second reading of the Education (Scotland) Bill, 1897, he will find that the sum of £80,000 was not referred to as to be paid only under the Act of 1897, but included the £13,000 odd which was payable under the operation of Section 67 of the Act of 1872; which £13,000 odd the honourable Member has deducted, and thereby converted the sum actually borne on the Estimates of this year for necessitous Board Schools, viz., £37,500 into £24,000. But I should wish to add that such details are unsuitable for discussion by means of question and answer, and it would be more convenient to leave them to be dealt with more fully when the Education Estimates come before the House.