§ MR. SLOAN (Belfast, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he is aware that it is only within the past week or so that the rules and regulations of the National Education Board, for the year commencing 1st July last, were issued; and if he can state the reason for the delay of this publication supposed to have been operative during the past five months.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The Commissioners of National Education inform me that the order for the publication of these rules was held over in the hope of including a statement as to the mode of distribution of the grant of £114,000. Owing to necessary delays in making arrangements for the distribution of the first issue of the grant the rules had ultimately to be published without this information. So far as the Commissioners are aware little or no inconvenience has been caused by the delay.