§ MR. SAMUEL ROBERTS (Sheffield, Ecclesall)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education if he will explain the procedure to be followed by a local education authority where extended facilities are demanded, explaining in particular the number of public inquiries which should be held in order to ascertain whether a ballot is necessary; whether the results of the ballot have been vitiated by the unavoidable absence of some person entitled to vote; and whether further public school accommodation is desired by those who have asked for extended facilities.
§ MR. BIRRELLI must refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Melton on July 2nd, to which I have nothing to add. †
§ MR. SAMUEL ROBERTSI beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether a vacancy in the teaching staff occurring in a school to which extended facilities have been granted, it will be permissible for the local education authority to take steps to ascertain that the teacher engaged to fill the vacancy is able or willing to give the special religious instruction allowed in that school.
§ MR. BIRRELLIf the word " whether " be substituted for the word "that," in the Question, after the word " ascertain," the Answer is in the affirmative, assuming State-aided schools to be excluded from consideration. But, if the word " that " be retained, and if I rightly interpret the purport of the hon. Member's Question in that shape, the Answer is in the negative.