61. Mr. L. MALONEasked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been drawn to the protest issued by the local education authorities regarding circular 1,245, announcing the restriction of the Treasury grant for the coming year towards the education of the blind, deaf, physically defective, and epileptic children to the amount paid in the current year; whether it is the duty of the education authorities to make provision for these children; whether he is aware that there are large numbers of defective children for whom no provision has yet been made; and whether, in view of the importance of this matter to the future of the race, he will reconsider his decision to restrict the provision of education for these afflicted children?
The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Herbert Lewis)My right hon. Friend is glad to say that it has been found possible to remove, in nearly every case, the restriction on the number of defective children who may be sent to existing special schools by individual local education authorities. A circular on the subject will be issued to authorities during the next few days.