§ 23. Mr. GRAHAM WHITEasked the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the emergency arising from juvenile unemployment, he will take 1438 steps to raise the school-leaving age to 15 from the beginning of the autumn term in all districts where unemployment is acute, subject to the proviso that children who have completed the school term following their fourteenth birthday may be allowed to leave school on finding permanent and satisfactory employment?
§ Mr. TREVELYANI am anxious to receive proposals from local education authorities for by-laws raising the age of school attendance to 15, especially from districts where unemployment is acute, and I shall be glad to discuss with local education authorities any difficulties which they may feel in bringing such by-laws into force.
§ Mr. W. GREENWOODIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are Lancashire cotton districts where unemployment is very bad now, but where there are still jobs waiting, if not for adults, for young children; is he aware that an increase in the age limit will cause very serious hardship in cases where it is already bad enough?
§ Mr. TREVELYANI would point out that the local authoritics have the power to raise age limit if they like to do so.