§ MR. OSMOND WILLIAMS (Merionethshire,)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Board of Education whether any grants or instalments of grant which in the ordinary course would have become due and payable to the local education authority of Merionethshire prior to 1st July have been withheld; what is the total amount which has been withheld; and what is the total amount which the local education authority is alleged to be in arrear in respect of payments due to non-provided schools.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Sir WILLIAM ANSON, Oxford University)No grants or instalments of grants which have accrued for payment during the first three months of the financial year have been withheld; though from the sums which have accrued the Board have made deductions amounting to £1,120 to meet payments made to managers in respect of expenses properly incurred by them between September 30th, 1903, and October 31st, 1904. The Board have been in correspondence with the local education authority in reference to the payment of an instalment of aid grant, and the payment would have been made before now had the assurances been received which have been asked for by the Board as to the fulfilment of certain legal requirements. I am afraid I cannot state exactly what further deductions it will be necessary for the Board to make to meet payments made to managers in respect of the above-named period, but I think it is quite probable that they may amount to another £500 or £600.