§ MR. ELLIS GRIFFITH (Anglesey)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether any and what steps have been taken by the Board of Education to deprive the Central Welsh Board of any and which of the powers hitherto exercised by it over secondary schools in Wales.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Mr. RUNCIMAN,) DewsburyThe Answer is in the negative.
§ MR. ELLIS GRIFFITHI beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether it is proposed by the Board of Education to deprive the Welsh Central Board of the powers hitherto exercised by it with regard to the distribution of the Welsh secondary school grants, and with regard to its position as intermediary for the purpose of communication between the Board of Education and the Welsh secondary schools.
§ MR. RUNCIMANThe secondary school grants in Wales have hitherto been paid through the Central Welsh Board although the Treasury Grant has always been paid direct, but that body has had no power or discretion as to the allocation of the secondary grants as between particular schools. Similarly, correspondence between the schools and the Board of Education has been despatched through the Central Welsh Board, but the functions of that body were limited to forwarding the Board's letters. The Board decided, with a view to economy and simplicity of administration, and in order that Welsh secondary schools should not be placed at any disadvantage as compared with English schools, that the methods of direct communication adopted in the case of these same schools as regards 1720 pupil teacher work and in the case of other secondary schools as regards the whole of their work should be applied in future. Arrangements will, of course, be made, if desired, to secure that the Central Welsh Board shall be supplied with copies of important communications between the Board of Education and the schools.
§ MR. ELLIS GRIFFITHHas there been any recent change in the relations with the Board of Education?
§ MR. RUNCIMANThere has only been a change in the channel through which communications pass.
§ MR. ELLIS GRIFFITHI beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether the Board of Education propose to deprive the Welsh Central Board of any of the statutory powers conferred upon it by the Intermediate Education (Wales) Act, 1889; and, if so, under what statute such action is to be taken.
§ MR. RUNCIMANThe Answers in the negative.