§ * MR. MASSIEI beg to ask the President of the Board of Education what is the total amount of public money that has boon paid to the managers or promoters of voluntary schools for the maintainance or building of such schools from grants and from rates respectively.
§ MR. LOUGHAs regards the period up to the end of 1902, the total maintenance grants from the Exchequer in respect of voluntary schools amounted approximately to £82,750,000 sterling; but it must be remembered that a considerable number of the voluntary schools in respect of which those grants were paid are not now in existence as voluntary public elementary schools. During that period no grants to such schools were payable from the rates. As regards the period since 1902, separate records have not been kept of the Exchequer grants paid to local education authorities in respect of voluntary as distinct from council schools; and I have no information as to the amount expended from local sources in respect of the maintenance of voluntary schools. The total building grants paid from the Exchequer to voluntary schools amounted to £1,766,854. But of the 6,765 schools which received those grants, only some 413 5,000 are believed now to be in existence as voluntary public elementary schools.