Mr. STEWARTasked the President of the Board of Education whether he has 435 received a petition from the ratepayers of the parish of Willaston, in the county of Chester, praying him to protect them against the proposal of the Cheshire county education authority to force a new school on the village at the cost of about £4,000; and whether, in view of the fact that the existing schools provide ample accommodation for the parish and have been recently altered by the managers to satisfy the requirements of the education authority, and that there is a practically unanimous local feeling against the necessity of this heavy outlay, he can see his way to institute an inquiry on the spot, so that the locality, which can ill afford it, may be saved from this heavy expenditure?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe Board have received two appeals, one signed by ratepayers of the parish and the other by the managers of the Church of England school, against the proposal to provide a new council school. They have also received a resolution passed at a meeting of ratepayers to the same effect. These protests have been referred to the local education authority for their observations. Pending the receipt of their reply I am not prepared to say whether it will be necessary to hold a local inquiry. I must not be understood to accept without qualification the statements implied in the concluding paragraph of the question.