§ 23. Mr. GEORGE THORNEasked the President of the Board of Education whether the new Grant to local education authorities will be paid in respect of parishes where the amount to be met by rates for elementary education exceeds the produce of a rate of 1s. 6d. in the £, even if the produce of the rate for elementary education of the local education authority in whose area a parish of the above description is situated is less than the produce of a rate of 1s. 6d. in the £?
§ Mr. HIGHAM and Mr. LANE-FOXasked similar questions.
Mr. PEASEIf the area as a whole is not necessitous (i.e., if the expenditure as a whole falling upon rates does not exceed the produce of an eighteenpence rate over the whole) then no Grant will be paid, even though the area contains parishes which are obliged through the operation of Section 18 of the Act of 1902 to raise rates exceeding eighteenpence.
§ Mr. LANE-FOXIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in some areas this will act very hardly upon the individual parish, and that the result in some cases will be that you will be paying these Grants to areas where the rates are lower and withholding them from parishes where the rates are higher?
Mr. PEASEI am not prepared to go into the question of the rating of parish by parish. I must look at the rating of the whole area of the local educational authorities. If there is a fault in connection with the high rating of particular parishes it is due to Section 18, Subsection (1), paragraphs (c) and (d) of the Act of 1902.
§ Mr. LANE-FOXIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the cost of these school buildings, which directly affect particular parishes, do not affect the whole area—that is not the same point?
§ Mr. HOAREDoes the right hon. Gentleman propose to take any steps to amend that Sub-section of the Act of 1902?
Mr. PEASEI should like to amend it at once if the measure could be regarded as uncontroversial by the House.