HC Deb 08 November 1906 vol 164 cc749-50
MR. LANE-FOX (Yorkshire, W.R., Barkston Ash)

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the Local Education Authority have refused to provide Bibles for use in the non-provided schools while making no such refusal in the case of the provided schools; and, if so, whether he will take steps to prevent such inequality of treatment in future.

*MR. CLOUGH (Yorkshire, W.R., Skipton)

Before the right hon. Gentleman answers the Question, is it not the fact that local education authorities are under no obligation to provide Bibles, catechisms, or any other religious textbooks in denominational schools, and has not the Court of Appeal decided chat the West Riding local authority has no control over, and consequently no responsibility whatever regarding re- ligious instruction of any sort in non-provided schools?

MR. LANE-FOX

I will furnish the right hon. Gentleman with particulars of a case.

MR. BIRKELL

No information has reached the Board of Education with regard to any such action on the part of the West Riding.

DR. MACNAMARA (Camberwell, N.)

Are we to understand that, so far as the right hon. Gentleman knows, there exists in this country a single denominational school not adequately supplied with Bibles by the managers, having regard to their well-known zeal for religious teaching?

[No Answer was returned].