§ 29. Sir A. GRIFFITH-BOSCAWENasked the President of the Board of Education whether the county borough of Dudley is included among those authorities which will get relief this year as necessitous educational areas, although it has not had such relief in the past; and if he can state why it is proposed that such areas should only get 50 per cent. of the excess over 1s. 6d. elementary rate instead of 75 per cent. as originally arranged?
Mr. PEASEI must ask the hon. Member to await the issue of the regulations governing the distribution of these Grants. With regard to the second part of the question, the sum placed at my disposal by the Treasury is not sufficient to enable me to give a Grant of more than 50 per cent. of the expenditure in excess of a 1s. 6d. rate.
§ Sir A. GRIFFITH-BOSCAWENIs not the Grant of 75 per cent. in the case of the old areas, only 50 per cent. in the case of the new areas, and how is it fair to differentiate between the two especially in view of the fact that up to date the new areas have had nothing at all?
Mr. PEASEThe hon. Member is misinformed. The original necessitous area Grant of the first year was a definite sum which did permit 75 per cent. being given, but in the last year or two, owing to its being of a fixed amount, the particular per cent. which a particular necessitous area receives is only approximately 50 per cent.
§ Sir A. GRIFFITH-BOSCAWENWill the right hon. Gentleman undertake that the new areas will get the same treatment as the old?