HC Deb 22 February 1900 vol 79 cc804-5
SIR JOHN BRUNNER

I beg to ask: the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education on what grounds the alteration of the instructions to Her Majesty's inspectors was made in the year 1891, according to which it is no longer required that entries should be made of all cases of corporal punishment inflicted in elementary schools; upon what representations the alteration was made; and whether Her Majesty's inspectors have reported the results to be satisfactory, or have they made any reports on the subject.

SIR J. GORST

No record exists of the grounds on which the former instructions to inspectors respecting corporal punishment were omitted in 1891, nor upon whose representations this was done. No reports as to the effect of the omission have been received from Her Majesty's inspectors.

SIR JOHN BRUNNER

Are we to understand that it was a mere accident then?

SIR J. GORST

Things do not happen by mere accident in Government Departments.