§ MR. JOYNSON-HICKS (Manchester, N.W.)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that technical and secondary schools at Earlston, Eccles, Middleton, Morecombe, Lancaster, Waterford, Waterloo-with-Seaforth, and Walkden have been approved by the local education authority for the County of Lancaster at various dates between October, 1906, and May, 1908; whether he is aware that the cost of building these schools with the extensions will amount to upwards of £167,000 but that progress cannot be made until the sanction of the Local Government Board is obtained; and if, in view of the prevailing unemployment in Lancashire and in the interest of education, he can expedite the departmental sanction.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSI am aware of the facts in this matter. The limitation on the amount which the town or urban district councils can raise for purposes of secondary education prevents their being able to borrow the sums required 115 without some assistance from the county council, and considerable, difficulties have arisen in connection with the arrangements to be made for this purpose between the county council and the other councils. I have long been in correspondence with the county council with regard to the matter. I am about to address a further communication to them on the subject, and I trust that this will effect a settlement of the difficulties to which I have referred. I will then at once deal with the applications for sanction to the borrowing of the sums required.
§ In reply to a further Question by Lord BALCARRES (Lancashire, Chorley),
§ MR. JOHN BURNSsaid they were rapidly approaching a settlement of this rather tangled question.