§ * SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, although the Elementary Education Act of 1897, relating to necessitous school districts, is left unrepealed by the Education Bill, the effect of the Bill will be that, where such a district is absorbed in a county, the district will lose the whole benefit of the Act of 1897, although it will retain the entire burden of building debts from which that Act at present partly relieves it; and, having regard to the fact that, unless the entire county should be necessitous within the terms of the Act, the money at present paid over to the district will be unissued and the Act a dead letter in such counties as may put in force the permissive powers of the Bill, whether he will consider the possibility of introducing an Amendment to meet the point.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe matter alluded to by my right hon. friend is undoubtedly one that will have to be dealt with, but I think I can hardly discuss it by means of Question and answer.
§ MR. REA (Gloucester)I beg to ask the first Lord of the Treasury whether, in the event of the Education Bill becoming law, the associations of voluntary 287 schools, established under the Voluntary Schools Act, 1897, will continue to exist: and, if so, will the shares of the aid grant payable under that Act continue to be allotted by them in accordance with Section 1, Sub-section (3), of that Act: and, if Part III of the Education Bill is not adopted in any district, will the aid grant continue to be allotted to the voluntary schools through the associations as at present; and where Part III is adopted and the grant is paid to the education authorities, as provided by Clause 8, Sub-section (3), of the Education Bill, will that grant be paid in accordance with schemes prepared by the governing bodies of the association, as provided by Section 1, Sub-section (4), of the Act of 1897.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIn the event of the Education Bill becoming law, the associations of voluntary schools as bodies with statutory duties will cease to exist; but if Part III of the Bill be not adopted, the aid grant will continue to be allotted as at present.