§ 13. Sir HENRY CRAIKasked the President of the Board of Education whether, seeing that the publication of the volumes containing statistics of public education, with full educational and financial information, has been discontinued, as well as the publication of a volume subsequently issued under the heading, Receipts and Expenditure of Local Education Authorities, he will say where the information therein given can now be obtained?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Lord Eustace Percy)My right hon. Friend oppears to be under a misapprehension. The issue of statistics of public education was resumed after the War, but, in the interests of economy, a single volume is issued containing both the purely educational and summary financial tables. I would invite my hon. Friend's attention 1525 to Part II of the Board's last statistical volume, particularly Tables 172 and 173. A new volume is about to be issued.
§ Sir H. CRAIKUp to what date will the volume go?
§ Lord E. PERCYI am afraid I cannot answer that question without notice.
§ Sir H. CRAIKIs the noble Lord aware that the returns do not give the information necessary; that they are not up to date?
§ Lord E. PERCYI should be very glad to do my best to keep them up to date, but my right hon. Friend must remember that keeping statistics up to date means expenditure.
§ Sir H. CRAIKWould it not be better that that small extra expenditure should be incurred rather than that there should be waste?
§ Mr. BASIL PETOWould it not be better to have fewer statistics, up to date statistics, and less expense?