§ VISCOUNT TURNOUR (Sussex, Horsham)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Board of Education if he can state the exact educational grounds on which Mr. Milnes, formerly in the employ of the West Riding County Council, was rejected as a candidate for a teachership at Royston.
§ MR. MCKENNAThe jurisdiction of the Board of Education in this and similar cases is strictly limited to determining whether the local education authority withheld their consent on educational grounds. These grounds in the present case are of course within the knowledge of the Board, but it seems unnecessary and, in the interests of the teacher, undesirable to state publicly the precise educational reasons on which the local education authority grounded their decision that Mr. Milnes was unsuited for the post.
§ VISCOUNT TURNOURThe right hon. Gentleman the other day stated that he was aware of the grounds.
§ MR. MCKENNAI have the grounds, and if the noble Lord wishes I will state them, but I think it undesirable.
§ VISCOUNT TURNOURIf I ask for them privately can I have them?
§ MR. McKENNAOh, yes.
§ MR. LANE-FOX (Yorkshire, W.R., Barkston Ash)Did I understand the right hon. Gentleman to say the Board had no jurisdiction if the grounds were educational?
§ MR. McKENNAIf educational grounds are alleged for the decision, and the Board are satisfied that the grounds are really educational, the Board has no further jurisdiction.
§ MR. LANE-FOXDid the Board take any steps to inquire if the grounds were really educational?
§ MR. McKENNAYes.
§ MR. LANE-FOXIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the ground on which the appointment was refused was absolutely inadequate and was based on entirely different—
§ *MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! The hon. Member is asking a number of Questions of some of which notice should be given.