§ 80. Mr. KENNEDYasked the Secretary for Scotland if he is aware that the auditor of the Scottish Education Department and the Scottish Education Department are declining to admit as legal payments made to members of education authorities at uniform rates prescribed by the Department on 8th April, 1919, for time necessarily lost from ordinary employment in attending meetings of education authorities; and what action he proposes to take to ensure that chains for payments in accordance with the provisions of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1908, as amended by Schedule 5, Section 5, B 2, of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1918, are not disputed by the Department in future?
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL for SCOTLAND (Mr. C. D. Murray)It is not the practice of the auditor of the Scottish Education Department or the Scottish Education Department to raise any question as to the payment of expenses made in virtue of the Department's minute of 8th April, 1919, where it is shown that a member's occupation is remunerated on such a basis that a definite pro rata reduction of earnings is suffered by reason of his attendance at meetings of an education authority. But as at present advised the Department cannot regard it as legal for such payment to be made in other cases. The whole matter has, however, 2338 been referred to the Scottish Law Officers, and will be further considered in the light of their opinion.
§ Mr. KENNEDYCan the hon. Gentleman say whether it has been the custom recently to pay these expenses to miners' agents and ministers?