§ Mr. WHITEHOUSEasked the Lord Advocate how many applications for amalgamation, as provided in the Scottish Education Act of 1908, have been received from school boards in Scotland; how many amalgamation orders have been issued; and what costs have been incurred by the school boards concerned either in furtherance of or in resistance to such applications?
§ The LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. Ure)The Department have received twenty-two applications for the union or extension of School Board districts under Section 22 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1908. In ten of these cases orders under that Section for union or extension have, to date, been finally issued. The Department are not in a position to say what expenses have been incurred by the School Boards concerned at their own instance, but the costs of conducting the inquiry, as ordered by the Department in those eases (four in number), in which costs in terms of Section 93 (3) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1889, are charged to the School Boards concerned, amount to £77 11s. 9d.