HC Deb 31 July 1913 vol 56 cc718-9
40. Mr. HOARE

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he intends to proceed with the Education (No. 2) Bill in the event of there being any strong opposition to its proposals?

Mr. PEASE

There has been nothing to indicate that there is any widespread opposition to the Bill, and I, therefore, hope there may be no difficulty in passing it this Session.

Mr. HOARE

Can the right hon. Gentleman give building Grants without the Bill?

Mr. PEASE

There are ways of doing it, but the way the Government has suggested, is the one which they recommend, and they think it is very important that it should be done in that form.

Mr. HOARE

Does the right hon. Gentleman want to do under a Bill what his predecessor, the present Home Secretary, did without a Bill?

Mr. KING

Does the right hon. Gentleman remember that he told me a few days ago that he could not give this building Grant without legislation?

Mr. PEASE

Certainly, not for elementary educational purposes.

Mr. BRIDGEMAN

Are we to understand that the Grant given before, by the predecessor of the right hon. Gentleman under the Appropriation Bill by Supplementary Estimate, was wrong?

Mr. PEASE

I think that that is really a subject matter of Debate. There was criticism made in regard to the other and I thought that the House on this occasion would prefer the way which I suggest.

Mr. HOARE

Does the right hon. Gentleman mean that he cannot give this building Grant without a Bill?

Mr. PEASE

I have already indicated that I cannot give relief to local education authorities in connection with elementary schools, except the matter is regularised in the way we suggest.