§ MR. LAMBERT (Devonshire, South Molton)To ask the Secretary to the Board of Education if it is essential for a county education authority to submit plans before undertaking alteration and provision of new schools to the Education Department; and, if so, what section of the Education Acts necessitates this reference.
(Answered by Sir William Anson.) Section 97 of the Elementary Education Act of 1870 requires that "the conditions required to be fulfilled in order to obtain an annual Parliamentary grant shall be those contained in the Minutes of the Department for the time being." Under Article 85 (a) of the Code, one of the, conditions of the annual grant is that I "the Board must be satisfied that the premises are healthy, are properly constructed and arranged for teaching, lighted, warmed, cleaned, drained and ventilated, are supplied with suitable offices, …" Unless the plans are first submitted to the Board and approved by them the local education authority will have no guarantee that the proposed alterations or new schools are such as meet the requirements of the Board. This precautionary measure may not be necessary in the case of small alterations, and the Board would be glad to arrange with local education authorities, when desired, to dispense with the submission of plans in cases of minor alterations if the inspector of the Board meets the architect or other responsible officer of the local authority on the spot, and approves what is proposed.