HC Deb 29 May 1907 vol 174 cc1645-6
MR. COURTHOPE

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether it is proposed to revise the recognised accommodation of provided schools in the same way and on the same scale as that of non-provided schools.

MR. McKENNA

I must refer the hon. Member to the Answer given by my right hon. predecessor on 7th November last, †in which he stated that the aim of the Board of Education was to secure for each child in a public elementary school ten square feet of floor space. In the case of new schools or enlargements their practice now is always to insist on this; and, as regards existing schools, they endeavour to bring about the same state of things. But in exercising pressure to this end some regard has to be paid to the heavy burden that would be placed upon the rates by any sudden demand for so large an increase of school provision as would be entailed by a universal application of a ten feet scale.

MR. COURTHOPE

I gather from the Answer that this is done only in the case of provided schools.

MR. McKENNA

That is a very complicated question to answer. The rules that must guide the Board in the case of voluntary schools are not the † See (4) Debates, clxiv., 550–1. same in enforcing satisfactory conditions as they are in the case of council schools.

LORD BALCARRES

The number of cubic feet required from a health point of view is the same in provided as in non-provided schools, is it not?

MR. MCKENNA

Precisely the same. We are endeavouring to bring the measure up to ten feet square in every case.

MR. COURTHOPE

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education what provided and non-provided schools have been subjected to the revision of recognised accommodation during the past and present financial years.

MR. McKENNA

The new List of Public Elementary Schools, which will, I hope, be published early next month, will show all changes in recognised accommodation occurring between 1st August, 1905, and 31st July, 1906. It would be impossible at present to give a list of changes occurring since that date, but they will be included in the next issue of the List of Schools.