EDUCATION (SCOTLAND). (Hansard, 14 July 1938)

§ Mr. Henderson Stewart
I beg to move: That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty praying him to withhold approval from the Fife Educational Trust Scheme, 1936, made under the Educational Endowments (Scotland) Act, 1928, a copy of which scheme was presented to this House on the 26th day of May, 1938. 1686 In view of what took place in another place a few days ago and the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland this afternoon, I deem it unnecessary to speak on this Prayer, which I now formally move.

§ Mr. G. A. Morrison
I beg to second the Motion.

§ Mr. Colville
The Under-Secretary of State said in reply to a Question to-day, that I proposed to advise the House to accept this Motion, but perhaps a word of explanation is necessary. It has been suggested that as this scheme was one of the last to be dealt with by the Endowment Commissioners, the procedure which the Act laid down for the consideration of a scheme and for its amendment, if amendment were judged to be necessary, could not be fully effective and that in consequence the interests of certain parties may have been prejudicially affected. The existence of such a feeling, whether well-founded or not, is a matter which I am bound to take into consideration.
It was undoubtedly the intention of Parliament in passing the Educational Endowments (Scotland) Acts that all bodies affected by any Scheme made under the Acts should have the fullest opportunity of expressing their views, and that adequate provision should be made for any amendment of a scheme which might be deemed necessary after those views had been fully considered. The Act laid down certain procedure, and the House will agree not only that it should be fully effective but also that all those concerned should be satisfied that it has been fully effective. I propose to ask the House to accept this Motion. The effect of its acceptance would be that an Address would be presented to His Majesty, praying him to withhold approval to the scheme. Thereafter it would be open to the Scottish Education Department to exercise the powers conferred upon them by Statute to prepare a new scheme, and such a scheme would dealt with according to the procedure laid down by the Act.
In advising the House to accept this Motion, I am concerned only to secure that there should be no doubt in any quarter as to the effectiveness of the statutory procedure for considering objections; 1687 I am not dealing with the merits of the scheme. The provisions of any new scheme will be a matter for future consideration. I can give my assurance that every opportunity will be given to those interested to state their views and have them fully considered, in accordance with the statutory procedure. Therefore, I advise the House that this Motion be accepted.

§ Sir Murdoch Macdonald
I beg to move, That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty praying Him to withhold approval from the Perth and Kinross Educational Trust Scheme, 1936, made under the Educational Endowments (Scotland) Act, 1928, a copy of which scheme was presented to this House on the 20th day of May, 1938. 1688 I do not wish at this late hour to explain the point any further, except to say that it is similar to the one which has already been carried.

§ Mr. Colville
The same considerations apply in this case, and I advise the House to accept the Motion.