§ MR. SAMUEL SMITH (Flintshire)I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education whether he can state if the parish almanack containing announcements that confessions were received every Sunday evening, asserting the doctrine of the Apostolic Succession of the clergy of the Church of England, advocating prayers for the dead, and deprecating the use of the word Protestant as applied to the Church of England, still continues to be affixed to the wall inside of the board school of Church Coppenhall, Crewe; and whether certain board schools have been threatened with withdrawal of the grant if they used the Church Catechism; and if so, whether it is consistent with the rules of the Education Department for such an almanack to be openly displayed in the Church Coppenhall Board School.
§ Sir J. GORSTI have been informed by the rector of the parish that (1) the almanack was never put up on school board premises; (2) it was put up for Sunday use only in premises leased to the board on five days in the week; (3) the rector publicly stated some days ago that as chairman of the board he had ordered its removal during day school hours. I can add nothing to the statement I have already made that the Committee of Council does not appear to have any jurisdiction over the almanack.