HC Deb 26 June 1905 vol 148 cc95-6
MR. BRYNMOR JONES (Swansea District)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Board of Education whether certain of His Majesty's inspectors in the service of the Board of Education who had been duly elected members of the Court of the University of Wales were requested by him to resign their membership of the Court; if so, will he say when, and explain why they were so requested; whether he is aware that before the said inspectors resigned their membership of the Court notices had been issued for a meeting of the Court at Shrewsbury on Friday the 9th June, at which questions affecting the administration of the University were to be discussed and determined; and that the bodies of persons who had, under the Charter of the University of Wales, duly elected the said inspectors to represent them on the said Court could not before the 9th June elect other persons in their places; did any correspondence take place between the Board of Education and any member of the Court other than the inspectors in question in reference to their occupying the position of members of the Court; if so, with what member or members of the Court did such correspondence take place; and will he lay the correspondence upon the Table.

THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Sir WILLIAM ANSON,) Oxford University

The resignations referred to were effected in consequence of instructions from the Board given during the first week in June. The Board are of opinion that it is undesirable that His Majesty's inspectors should take part in public meetings or as members of local bodies in matters of local controversy. I am aware of the circumstances referred to by the hon. Member, and regret any inconvenience which may have been occasioned to the bodies who were represented by the inspectors in question; but having regard to the contentious character of the matters which were coming up for d session at the Court, the Board consider that the instructions given wore necessary. No correspondence on the subject passed between the Board and any other member of the Court.