§ 19. Sir JOHN WARDLAW-MILNEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education how many inspectors, of all kinds were employed by the Government and by local authorities, respectively, in connection with education in England and Wales in 1913; and what is the number at the present time?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Ramsbotham)The number of inspectors employed under the Board of Education was 384 in 1913, and is now 349, a decrease of 35. Figures are not available to show the actual number of inspectors employed by local education authorities, but I may mention that only a very small proportion of the total number of authorities employ any inspectors at all.
§ Sir J. WARDLAW-MILNEDoes my hon. Friend think that that reduction is the most that can be made in view of the 1956 necessity for economy and of the demands for economy which have been made from the Government benches from time to time; and is he aware that quite recently no fewer than seven inspectors arrived at one secondary school, none of them knowing that the others were coming?
§ Mr. RAMSBOTHAMWith regard to the first part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question, I am always willing to practise economy, and I had hoped that he would congratulate the Board on having been able to reduce the figure substantially below the pre-War figure. With regard to the second part, if my hon. Friend will give me information on the matter, I shall be pleased to look into it.