Mr. SILVESTER HORNEasked the President of the Board of Education whether he has seen an appeal issued in. Birkenhead for a sum of £11,000 to be spent on the following seven schools: Holy Trinity, St. Anne's, St. Catherine's, St. James's, St. Mary's, St. Paul's, and St. Peter's; whether he has also seen the statement that the Board of Education has given assurances that if this sum is spent there will be no need for any more money to be spent for a good many years to come; will he communicate to the House the exact terms of the alleged assurance; whether he has seen the reports of His Majesty's inspectors on the structural defects of the said schools; and whether he is satisfied that the expenditure of £11,000 will completely remove all those defects?
§ Mr. TREVELYANI have not seen the appeal referred to, but the seven schools in question require improvement. I am aware of the terms of the inspector's reports on the premises. On the 18th March, 1911, the Birkenhead branch of the Chester Diocesan Association informed the Board that they intended to raise a large sum of money and expend it upon the schools if they could be assured that the work which they should do would be regarded as permanently satisfying the requirements of the Board. The Board replied on the 31st March that while they could not, of course, pledge themselves to recognise any school for a fixed term of years, they would not approve any plans without satisfying themselves that the proposed alterations would render the premises satisfactory for a reasonable period, and that the managers would be well advised in embarking upon the expenditure which might be necessary. Until 485 specific proposals and plans are submitted by the managers, it will be quite impossible to judge whether their proposals are satisfactory and adequate.