§ LORD E. CECIL (Marylebone, E.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether four of the head teachers of Swansea Church schools are receiving —75 less than they would have received if the arrangements made by the managers upon the teachers' appointment had been adhered to; whether, in the case of two teachers engaged before the appointed day, under the Act of 1902, under signed agreements, entitling them to a rise in salary on the 1st March, 1905, the local education authority refused to allow the increases until the Board of Education directed them to do so; whether, in the case of another teacher in a Church school, a salary at the usual Scale was only secured after negotiations lasting from January, 1905, to May, 1906, by the intervention of the Board of Education; and whether, in view of these facts, seeing that the pending dispute about the salaries of teachers turns mainly on the wish of the local education authority to pay teachers in voluntary schools less than the teachers in the council schools, he will say if he proposes to take any action in the 306 matter beyond consulting the Law Officers.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Mr. BIRRELL,) Bristol, N.Figures supplied to the Board by the managers show that the salaries paid to the four head teachers referred to in the first paragraph of the Question were —75 less than those proposed by the managers. In the case of the two teachers referred to in the second paragraph, the Board forwarded to the local authority without comment a copy of a letter from the managers on the subject. I understand that the representations of the managers were acceded to by the local authority. The facts stated in the third paragraph are correct. I cannot say what further action (if any) will be taken by the Board until I have received the opinion of the Law Officers.
§ LORD R. CECILDid the local authority at first refuse to fulfil its duty?
§ MR. BIRRELLI think that is so.
§ LORD BALCARRES (Lancashire, Chorley)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education upon what date the Swansea Local Education Authority undertook to carry out the directions of the Board of Education.
§ MR. BIRRELLI am not aware that there are at the present time any directions of the Board of Education which the Swansea Local Education Authority have on any date undertaken to carry out or, on the other hand, are failing to carry out.
§ LORD BALCARRESWere any directions given by the Board?
§ MR. BIRRELLI do not quite understand the object or purport of the Question. I can find no particular letter in which any direction was given to the local authority which they either did or did not carry out.