§ MR. D. A. THOMASI beg to ask the Prime Minister whether the Government is represented at, or is in any way privy to, the negotiations that have lately been proceeding with the object of arriving at a settlement by general agreement of the more important controversial points that have arisen over the Education Bill; of what representative authority, if any, those engaged in negotiations are possessed; and to what extent they are empowered to bind those for whom they are supposed to act.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Mr. RUNCIMAN, Dewsbury)No formal negotiations have been carried on by the Government, but I have, of course, lost no opportunity of collecting opinion in many quarters, and I am not yet without hope that a settlement by general agreement may be reached.
§ MR. D. A. THOMASCan the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that the Government will not commit the House to any compromise which will whittle away the principle of the Bill?
§ MR. RUNCIMANThe Government are not likely to abandon any of the principles of the Bill.