§ 34. Captain CROOKSHANKasked the President of the Board of Education whether any expenditure has been definitely authorised by his Department in anticipation of the coming into force of the Education Bill which recently obtained its Third Reading; and, if so, how much?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Sir Charles Trevelyan)Plans for new school accommodation recently approved by my Department have in some cases been drawn up on the assumption that it will before long be necessary to provide for all children between 14 and 15. But as explained in Circulars 1397 and 1404, of which I am sending copies to the hon. and gallant Member, provision for these children cannot be separated from that for reorganisation, the reduction in the size of classes, and the treatment of Black List Schools. 1137 It is, therefore, not possible to state separately the capital expenditure referable to any one of these factors.
§ Captain CROOKSHANKI understand, then, that there is no estimate at all in the possession of the right hon. Gentleman of what is being spent in this apparently illegal way?