36. MARQUESS of TULLIBARDINEasked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that with regard to Lecropt public school the school board appointed a fully certificated teacher on the promise that they would receive a special Grant of £50; that that Grant has been paid regularly in April and May along with the annual Grant; that for the first time this Grant was not paid in May, 1914; and that 1104 the school board have been informed that it is not to be paid until 15th May, 1015, some fifteen months after it has been earned, a practice which is to be continued, thus keeping the board one year's Grant in arrear or, in other words, depiving them of a year's Grant; and will he say what are the reasons for this proceeding?
Mr. McKINNON WOODThe Grant in question is payable from the Education (Scotland) Fund under Section 17 (9) of the Act of 1908. The secondary education committee for the county of Perth have adopted" an alternative scheme of Grants under that Sub-section, as therein provided, one feature of which is the limitation of the aggregate amount of such Grants in each year to a total sum to be fixed by the committee. This scheme applies to Lecropt Public School as to all other schools in the county. Payment of the Grant claimable under Section 17 (9) by that school has had to be postponed (in common with similar Grants claimable by other schools in the district) till near the end of the Committee's year (15th May, 1915), because until then (1) the aggregate amount claimable by schools in the county, and (2) the limiting sum to be fixed by the Committee cannot be ascertained. And until these two factors are ascertained, it cannot be known how much Grant is payable to any particular school.
§ Major ANSTRUTHER-GRAYIs the right hon. Gentleman endeavouring to ascertain these details?