HC Deb 01 May 1930 vol 238 cc355-7
36. Mr. WHITE

asked the President of the Board of Education the rights which would be enjoyed under the reorganisation scheme by a voluntary school which had repaid a grant made for the purpose of reconditioning or enlargement?

Sir C. TREVELYAN

The special conditions on which the grant may be made would cease to operate if and when the grant is repaid.

37. Mr. HARRIS

asked the President of the Board of Education whether be proposes to put into the form of a Bill his proposals for dealing with the non-provided schools; and when he proposes to introduce it?

Sir C. TREVELYAN

If, as I hope, the proposals summarised in the White Paper prove to be generally acceptable, they would have to be embodied in legislation. I cannot at present make any statement as to the last part of the question.

Mr. HARRIS

Will this subject be dealt with separately before the School Attendance Bill is introduced?

Sir C. TREVELYAN

It is too early for me to say.

Mr. THURTLE

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that those proposals are not acceptable to the teachers of the country?

Sir C. TREVELYAN

I am aware that the opposite is the case.

Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY

Will not a great deal of time be required to put the scheme into operation as regards buildings, and is it not necessary that we should have legislation introduced as soon as possible?

Mr. FOOT

Will precedence be given to this legislation over the School Attendance Bill, or will the School Attendance Bill be introduced first? Which will have preference?

Sir C. TREVELYAN

I have already stated that it is too early to make any statement.

Mr. BEAUMONT

Will the passage of thins Bill be dependent on the passage of the School Attendance Bill?

41. Mr. EDE

asked the President, of the Board of Education if it is proposed that any grant made by a local education authority under Section 1 of the Summary of Proposals in Command Paper 3551 shall be recognised by the Board for the purposes of their grant; if so, what the percentage paid by the Board will be; and will the prior sanction of the Board to the making of a grant by the local education authority have to be obtained?

Sir C. TREVELYAN

It is proposed that any grant made by a local education authority under Section 1 of the Summary of Proposals in Command Paper 3551 should be eligible for grant under the provisions of the Board of Education's current Regulations, and that during the operation of Circular 1404 the rate should be 50 per cent. The Board's prior sanction would not be required to any agreement which may be made by a local education authority with the managers of a non-provided school, but it would be a condition of the Board's grant that the actual proposals for the enlargement, reconstruction or improvement of the school in question should secure their approval in the usual manner.

42. Mr. EDE

asked the President of the Board of Education if it is proposed to vary from the present ratio the proportion of managers appointed by the trust and by the local authorities in the case of voluntary schools which receive grants from the local education authorities under Section 1 of the Summary of Proposals in Command Paper 3551?

Sir C. TREVELYAN

No, Sir.

43. Mr. EDE

asked the President of the Board of Education if the managers of a voluntary school will be given any right of appeal, and, if so, to whom, where a local education authority recognise that their voluntary school could, subject to enlargement, reconstruction, or improvement, be efficiently incorporated in a scheme of reorganisation but decline to make a grant towards such enlargement, reconstruction, or improvement, and the managers are themselves unable to find the necessary funds?

Sir C. TREVELYAN

No, Sir. The proposal is that the grant should be dependent on a voluntary agreement, and that there should be no compulsion upon either party to enter into such an agreement.

Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY

Surely, if later on, owing to change of teachers, for example, there is a dispute between the local education authority and the managers, there is a right of appeal?

Sir C. TREVELYAN

That is another question.