§ MR. PIKE PEASE (Darlington)To ask the President of the Board of Education whether, in the event of a voluntary school being closed, the Board of Education require from the trustees the repayment of the whole or part of any building grant made by the State in respect of such school or teachers' residence; and, if so, by what authority or instruction this demand is made.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The question of the repayment of building grant by the trustees of any elementary school is dealt with in The School Grants Act, 1855, which provides that where a building grant has been made, no sale, exchange, or mortgage of the premises shall be valid unless either the Secretary of State for the Home Department consents or the amount of the grant is repaid to 163 the Treasury. Each case is dealt with on its merits, and in the light of the particular trusts affecting the premises.