§ 35. Mr. CLOWESasked the President of the Board of Education how much has been provisionally allocated to local education authorities by the Central Miners' Welfare Fund Committee for providing buildings and other facilities for instruction in mining; whether, in view of administrative Memorandum 44, local education authorities will, in fact, be allowed to use these grants or others which may be made; whether they will be allowed to supplement these grants by such small sums as may be necessary to enable a working scheme to be carried out; and whether the maintenance and other current expenses of a building erected by such grants will be allowed by the Board?
§ Lord E. PERCYI understand that the sum which, on the 1st of this month, stood provisionally allocated to local education authorities by the Miners' Welfare Committee for buildings and other facilities for higher instruction in mining, amounted to £155,990. Of the projects involved some would entail considerable capital expenditure, in addition to that to be met from the Miners' Welfare Fund, and substantial additional annual maintenance charges. Generally speaking, such projects can suitably be deferred for inclusion in the programmes for 1927–30 which I have asked authorities to submit to me, and I understand that the Miners' Welfare Committee are prepared to let their allocations stand in the meantime; but if, in any particular case, the authority think that, notwithstanding the considerations mentioned in administrative Memorandum 44, the project should not be deferred to the period covered by their programme, it is open to them to submit their views for my consideration.