§ *MR. CLOUGH (Yorkshire, W.R., Skipton)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that Mr. O. Milnes was appointed as headmaster of the Royston National school by the casting vote of the chairman of the managers, the Reverend R. J. Thorpe; that the local education authority refused to consent to the appointment solely on educational grounds; that of the sixty-two applications there were at least five among the applicants who were more suitable than Mr. Milnes for that particular post; that the Sharlston elementary school is not comparable in point of average attendance and responsibility to the Royston National school; and whether, seeing that it is an all-sufficient reason for a local education authority to withhold their consent to an appointment on educational grounds, His Majesty's inspector, Mr. Marvin, did not exceed his duty in furthering the interests of one teacher to the disadvantage of other teachers in the West Riding 372 who are better qualified on educational grounds.
§ MR. MCKENNAI have nothing to add to the Answer which I gave yesterday † except that I am unable to agree with my hon. friend that His Majesty's inspector exceeded his duty in stating his opinion, when asked, that Mr. Milnes was not educationally unfit for the position of head master of the Royston school.