HC Deb 28 July 1915 vol 73 cc2283-4
59. Mr. HOGGE

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that £17,650 is spent in Ireland on schools where bilingual instruction is given, that £3,000 of this amount is for teachers in such schools, that in Scotland the Government only contribute £10 a school where Gaelic forms part of the curriculum; and whether he is prepared to encourage the study of Gaelic in Scotland with larger Grants?

Mr. McKINNON WOOD

The circumstances of Scotland and Ireland are so different in the matter of instruction in Gaelic that no inference can be made from the amount spent in one country as to the amount which should be spent in the other. The Scottish Grants for the teaching of Gaelic (which are not confined to the £10 Grant mentioned) are Grants to managers in respect of the extra expense they may be put to in providing such instruction, and there is no reason to suppose that they do not represent an adequate proportion of such additional expense.

Mr. HOGGE

Does not the right hon. Gentleman think that the Grants should be increased?

Mr. McKINNON WOOD

No; I do not see any reason why they should be increased.