§ MR. CLANCYI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that, while no grant whatever out of Imperial funds has been made for the purpose of a system of higher education of which Catholics in Ireland can conscientiously avail themselves, the grants in aid of the University Colleges in England have in the last twenty-five years risen from an annual sum of £15,000 per annum to a sum of £54,000 477 per annum in 1904–5, and that it is now proposed by the University Colleges Committee to increase such annual grant to the sum of £100,000 per annum, he will say whether that recommendation has been endorsed by the Treasury; and whether it is the intention to include such increase in the Estimates for the coming financial year.
§ MR. CLANCYI beg also to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that University Colleges in England, apart from the Universities which are in receipt of grants out of Imperial Funds, number upwards of a dozen, and that there are not any such institutions in Ireland of which Catholics can conscientiously avail themselves, it is now contemplated to increase the grants to those institutions to £100,000 per annum; and whether, if it is so contemplated, he will refuse to sanction any increase in the grants referred to while no provision is made for the higher education of Catholics in Ireland.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThere are some adjectives in the hon. Member's Question which suggest controversy; and I will content myself by saying to the hon. Member that the actual amount which I understand to be on the Votes for higher education in Ireland is £33,416, and it is proposed to give for English higher education £100,000, which will appear on the Estimates. I ought to add that under the English system four times the amount is required from local subscriptions before anything is derived from the public funds.
§ MR. CLANCYDoes the right hon. Gentleman mean to say, in mentioning the figures regarding Ireland, that there is any single institution in that country of University character of which an Irish Catholic can conscientiously avail himself?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThat is really a very difficult Question for me to answer. I understand that English Roman Catholics go to Oxford and Cambridge.
§ MR. BUCHANAN (Perthshire, E.)Is Scotland to have any share in the increased grant?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe original Question has no reference to Scotland. I must ask the hon. Member to put his Question on the Paper.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDDid I correctly understand the right hon. Gentleman to answer to the effect that the provision on the Estimates for higher education in England was to be raised from £54,000 to £100,000 this year and that no additional provision whatever is to be made for Ireland?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURYes, Sir, that is true.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDWe will see about that.
§ MR. CLANCYHas the Prime Minister recanted his views on Irish University education.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo; although few people may be prepared to agree with me, my opinion in regard to Irish University education stands as it will be found in a published letter which I have never withdrawn.