41. Dr. VERNON DAVIESasked the President of the Board of Education if he has received a copy of the resolution passed by the executive committee of the London Municipal Society on 3rd July, 1930, protesting against the issue of Circular 1404 by the Board in September, 1929, and expressing the opinion that such action was unconstitutional and subversive of the authority of Parliament and the rights of local education authorities, inasmuch as it pressed local education authorities to make their plans and to embark upon expenditure in anticipation of the Education Bill, which has since been withdrawn; and does he propose to indemnify such local education authorities for any unnecessary expense they have been forced to incur?
§ Sir C. TREVELYANI have received a copy of the resolution referred to, which seems to have been passed under a misapprehension. I am not aware that any local education authorities have been 609 forced to incur any unnecessary expense by reason of the issue of the circular, and the last part of the question, therefore, does not arise.
Dr. DAVIESSupposing it comes to the knowledge of the right hon. Gentleman that certain local education authorities have been compelled to incur expenditure in this respect, what will be their position?
§ Mr. BEAUMONTIs it not a fact that when a circular of this sort is issued, local authorities act upon it and that they do incur expense in that way; and if these circulars are not to be implemented, then what is the position of the local authorities in this matter?