§ 42. Mr. NICHOLasked the Under-Secretary to the Scottish Board of Health if he is aware that considerable trouble has arisen owing to the confusion caused by the Scottish Education Department approving of expenditure by local education authorities and subsequently maintaining that such approval does not include approval for purposes of grant; and if he is prepared to revert to the former usage of the Department, namely, that approval connoted approval for purposes of grant?
§ Captain ELLIOTGrants to education authorities in Scotland are not now based upon expenditure, and the conditions referred to in the question no longer apply. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the present Regulations.
§ Mr. NICHOLIs the hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that the old Regulations do hold, so far as retrospective payments are concerned, and that they are very prejudicial to some of the authorities, in estimating for the present year?
§ Captain ELLIOTIt seems to me that this question was dealt with in the answer already given. The question of retrospective effect is scarcely one upon which I can enter at the moment, but I shall be glad to discuss it with the hon. Member.