§ MR. ASHLEYI beg to ask the hon-Member for South Somerset as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture whether a Departmental Committee of the Board of Agriculture has been appointed to report on the provision of technical classes in agriculture; whether any representative of the Board of Education has been appointed to that Committee; and, if not, why no such representative has been appointed.
§ THE TREASURER OF THE HOUSEHOLD (Sir EDWARD STRACHEY, Somersetshire, S.)The Committee to which the hon. Member refers was appointed "to inquire as to the provision which has now been made for affording 279 scientific and technical instruction in agriculture in England and Wales and to report whether, in view of the practical results which have already been obtained, the existing facilities for the purpose are satisfactory and sufficient, and, if not, in what manner they may with advantage be modified or extended." It has quite been the hope of my noble friend that a representative or representatives of the Board of Education would be included in the Committee, but he has not hitherto been able to make arrangements for the purpose. He proposes, however, further to confer with my right hon. friend the President of the Board of Education on the subject.
§ MR. ASHLEYI beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, how many technical classes in agriculture and schools of agriculture are assisted by the Board of Argiculture; and how many such schools and classes are inspected by the Board of Agriculture?
§ SIR EDWARD STRACHEYThe number of institutions which received grants from the Board for the purposes of agricultural education in 1906–7 was twenty. All of them were inspected and reported upon in the course of the year. In addition our inspectors keep in close touch with the work of county councils in connection with agricultural education and visit and report upon the classes and lectures held under their auspices.