§ 39. Mr. Edmund Harveyasked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the urgent need to expedite the re-opening of schools which are now closed because of the absence of air-raid precautions, and the difficulty of local education authorities in meeting the cost involved by adequate precautionary measures, he will be willing to reconsider the proportion of the Government grant-in-aid of air-raid precautions made to local education authorities?
§ Sir J. AndersonAs I have previously stated in the House, the Government have not been able to treat the special rates of grant provided by the Air-Raid Precautions Act as applicable to expenditure on air-raid precautions in schools. But my Noble Friend the President of the Board of Education has decided that the grant payable by the Board to local education authorities in respect of air-raid precautions in schools shall in no case be less than 50 per cent.; and that, where the grant in respect of elementary education generally is at a higher percentage than 50 per cent., the grant in respect of air-raid precautions in elementary schools shall be increased to that higher percentage. Hon. Members will be aware that, where additional expenditure is incurred in reception areas for the protection of evacuated children, such additional expenditure will rank for 100 per cent. evacuation grant.