§ 52. Mr. EDGAR JONESasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the position of education authorities in South Wales consequent upon the refusal of the Treasury to provide the money for the special Grant equal to three-fourths of the excess of a rate of 1s. 6d. in the £ for elementary education; and, if so, whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe limitation of the necessitous Grants to a fixed sum and the consequent proportionate reduction of the Grants when the demands upon the Grant are greater than the fixed total are, in the view of my right hon. Friend, a necessary condition of the existing method of distribution of the Grants. The limitation has been applied in every year since the Grant was instituted, with the exception of the two first years, when the limit was not reached, and the year 1910–11, when it was found possible to increase the fixed total from £200,000 to £350,000.
§ Mr. E. JONESWill the Chancellor of the Exchequer make an alteration in the system of paying out the Grants?
§ 54. Mr. E. JONESasked the right hon. Gentleman whether in proportion to the number of scholars in elementary schools Wales should receive an additional £70,000 per annum; and whether he can remove the injustice by giving a special contribution towards elementary education from the high produce of the South Wales Royalty Duties?
Mr. ROBERTSONI have no information with regard to the statement in the first part of the question. My right hon. Friend is not prepared to ear-mark a part of the produce of the Mineral Rights Duties to educational purposes.
§ 55. Mr. E. JONESasked the right hon. Gentleman whether the reduction in the necessitous Aid Grant will mean the addition of at least 2d. in the £ to the existing high rate of 2s. in the £ for elementary education alone in the urban districts of Aberdare and Mountain Ash; and whether, if there is no other source available, he will raise the rate of duty upon coal royalties?
Mr. ROBERTSONI have no information as to the first part of the question, but I am aware that the proportionate reduction of the necessitous Grants when the total claims exceed the fixed sum provided by Parliament may necessitate an increased rate. My right hon. Friend is not prepared to adopt the suggestion in the last part of the question.
§ Mr. WILLIAM THORNEIs the hon. Gentleman aware that in consequence of many of the local authorities coming under what is known as necessitous areas, that West Ham has lost something like £10,000?