§ Sir HENRY CRAIKasked the Prime Minister whether he was aware that the Principals of the Universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, and Manchester receive salaries of £2,000 a year; by what authority it has been made a condition of the increased grant to the Scottish Universities that the scale of salaries recommended by Lord Elgin's Committee should be reduced in the case of the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow to £1,600 a year and in the case of Aberdeen and St. Andrews to £1,200 a year; and whether this proposal to interfere with the management by the University authorities of their finances has the sanction of the Government?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSErose to reply—
§ Sir H. CRAIKOn a point of Order, this is an appeal from the Treasury to the 34 Prime Minister, who is Lord Rector of one of the Universities concerned, and I appeal to him for an answer.
§ The PRIME MINISTERThat is the reason why I should not answer it.
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI have no official information as to the salaries of the Principals of the English Universities referred to. I beg to refer the hon. Member to my reply of the 27th March to his question on the subject of the additional grant to Scottish Universities. No condition was made that the salaries should be reduced; and the action of the Treasury was confined to deciding how much of the new grant should be allocated to an augmentation of the salaries.
§ Sir H. CRAIKIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that no such rights of interference is assumed by the Treasury with regard to any English University, or by the Education Department in the fixing of the salary of a single teacher in an elementary school, and if the Treasury, in spite of that, are determined to fix the salaries of the Principals of these ancient Scottish Universities?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThey did not fix the salaries. They have given an extra grant this year of £31,000, and said that so much of that extra grant shall be given to Principals in augmentation of existing salaries.
§ Sir H. CRAIKIs it not the case that the Treasury have set aside the decision of Lord Elgin's Committee appointed by themselves with regard to these salaries and did interfere with regard to the salaries of officers of those Universities?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThey have interfered to the extent of giving a further sum in augmentation of the salaries.
§ Mr. EDGAR JONESIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Principals of Welsh Universities would regard those salaries as wealth beyond the dreams of avarice?