§ MR. LOUGH (Islington. W.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to Section 5, Subsection 3, of the London Government Act, 1899, which provides that the Local Government Board may, if they think fit, on the application of the London County Council and a majority of the London Borough Councils, make a Provisional Order for transferring to all the Borough Councils any powers exercised by the County Council; and whether, seeing that under this clause it would be possible for the London County Council to transfer its powers as local education authority, he intends to take any steps in connection with the London Education Bill to prevent the application of this provision as regards education questions.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Sir WILLIAM ANSON,) Oxford UniversityA Provisional Order for such a transfer of power can only be made if the Local Government Board, the London County Council, and a majority of the Borough
† See (4) Debates, cv., 987.‡ See (4) Debates, cxxi., 1343.
§ Councils are agreed in its favour, and as the Local Government Board would presumably consult the Board of Education before taking action in the matter there seems no reason to fear that the provisions of the London Government Act to which the hon. Member refers are likely to be applied with undue haste or want of consideration.
§ MR. LOUGHThen does the hon. Member acknowledge that these arrangements mean the transfer of the local education authority to the Borough Councils?
§ [No answer was returned.]