§ Mr. J. PARKER (on behalf of Mr. William Thorne)asked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the action of the Local Government. Board auditor in surcharging the Bradford education authority with an item of £1,800, this amount being in excess of the halfpenny rate allowed under the Feeding of Children Act, and which was expended during the school vacation for feeding necessitous children; and, if this amount was illegally expended, will he say if the Government is prepared to bring in a one-clause Bill making it legal for education authorities to feed children during the school vacation?
§ Mr. BURNSI am aware that the auditor has given notice of his intention to disallow and surcharge about £1,800 expended by the local education authority in excess of the maximum amount allowed by the Education (Provision of Meals) Act, 1906, and also about £200 spent in the provision of meals during the school vacation. It will be competent for the persons surcharged to appeal to the Local Government Board against the auditor's decision, 1705 and the Board will then be empowered to determine whether the expenditure was legal or not. Meanwhile I cannot express any opinion on the subject. Any proposal for an amendment of the Act of 1906 would be, as I said just now, a matter for my right hon. Friend.