§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREasked whether the opposition to the erection of a provided school in the city of Lichfield was confined to adherents of the Church of England, or whether it was representative of ratepayers in general; what, was the estimated cost of the proposed new school; and for how many pupils was it intended?
Mr. PEASEThe appeal to the Board of Education against a provided school, to which I referred on Friday, was signed by ten persons as ratepayers of the city of Lichfield. Seven described themselves as managers of one or other of the Church of England schools; another signatory was a churchwarden and trustee of one of the Church of England schools. I have no definite information as to whether they were adherents of the Church of England. I have no right to assume that they represented the ratepayers in general, but the appeal, after stating that: "Lichfield being a cathedral city, Church feeling is particularly strong, and there is consequently an almost universal desire that a non provided school shall be built," went on to say that: "To build and maintain a council school would place an additional severe burden on the city of 7,902 inhabitants already heavily rated." I do not think any estimate of the cost of the proposed school was furnished to the board. Notice was given by the local education authority on the 2nd April, 1908, for a council school for 350 children, but a subsequent notice was given on the 27th July, 1910, for a council school for 410 children.