§ SIR JAMES RANKIN (Herefordshire, Leominster)I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education whether, having reference to the last paragraph of the circular issued by the Board of Education relating to schemes for aid grant to voluntary schools, in the case of a voluntary school conducted in premises owned by a private individual and occupied by the managers without payment of rent, or at a nominal rent, and towards the maintenance of which school the voluntary contributions are considered reasonable by the governing body of the Voluntary Schools Association, to which the school belongs, in the event of altered pecuniary circumstances of the owner of such school, or change of ownership by death or otherwise, the Board of Education would sanction a new or an increased charge for rent, reasonable in amount, and at the same time allow payment of aid grant to the school under the Voluntary Schools Act of 1897.
§ MR. GRANT LAWSON (for Sir J. GORST)Every case of a new or increased rent is dealt with on its merits, but the Board of Education would not as a rule refuse aid grant, provided that such rent was met by a corresponding increase in the voluntary contributions.