HC Deb 18 March 1931 vol 249 cc2034-5
63. Mr. McSHANE

asked the Minister of Labour if she will give a list of the local authorities which receive 100 per cent. or 75 per cent. grants, respectively, in respect of juvenile instruction centres; and will she state the general conditions governing the varying awards of such grants?

Mr. LAWSON

As the reply is long and contains tabular statements, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. McSHANE

Do any of these authorities receive 100 per cent. grants?

Mr. LAWSON

Yes, Sir.

Following is the answer:

The following is a list of the local education authorities receiving 100 per cent. or 75 per cent. grants, respectively, in respect of junior instruction centres:

(i) Authorities receiving 100 per cent. grant:

Abertillery. Merthyr Tydvil.
Carmarthenshire. Monmouthshire.
Durham County. Rhondda.
Gateshead. South Shields.
Glamorganshire. Sunderland.
Jarrow. Wigan.
Lanarkshire.

(ii) Authorities receiving 75 per cent. grant:

Aberdeen. Bury.
Ayrshire. Cardiff.
Birkenhead. Darlington.
Birmingham. Derby.
Blackburn. Derbyshire.
Blackpool. Dudley.
Bolton. Dumbartonshire.
Bootle. Dundee.
Bradford. Edinburgh.
Bristol. Essex.
Burnley. Glasgow.
Great Yarmouth. Nottingham.
Grimsby. Oldham.
Hull. Plymouth.
Kent. Preston.
Lancashire County Renfrewshire.
Rochdale.
Leeds. Salford.
Liverpool. Sheffield.
London County Council. Stockport.
Stoke-on-Trent.
Manchester. Swansea.
Middlesbrough. Walsall.
Newcastle-on-Tyne. West Ham.
West Hartlepool.
Newport, Mon. Wolverhampton.
Northumberland County. Yorkshire, West Riding.

The regulations at present in force governing the administration of junior instruction centres are based on the recommendations contained in the first reports of the two National Advisory Councils for Juvenile Employment, presented in the spring of 1929. These councils, on which education authorities are largely represented, were unanimously of the opinion that the normal rate of grant to education authorities in respect of junior instruction centres should be 75 per cent. of approved expenditure, though they recommended that, in the special circumstances of certain distressed areas and subject to such additional safeguards as might be deemed necessary, the existing practice of paying 100 per cent. of the approved cost of the centres in such areas should be continued so long as the circumstances remained substantially unchanged. The recommendations in question were accepted by the Government for an experimental period ending 31st March, 1933. The grant of 100 per cent. is regarded as a special and exceptional measure subject to periodical review, and is limited to areas in or on the fringe of mining areas which have been depressed over a prolonged period and where, in consequence, a state of financial stringency exists.