HC Deb 07 March 1940 vol 358 cc563-4
58. Mr. Lipson

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education what is the amount of the Government grant paid in the last recorded year to education authorities for air-raid precautions; and how much more would have had to be paid if the percentage of grant had been the same as that paid to local authorities on their general air-raid precautions expenditure?

Mr. Lindsay

Inasmuch as local education authorities generally did not begin to incur expenditure on air-raid precautions until the current financial year, it will not be possible for some months to give the hon. Member the comparative statistics for which he asks.

Mr. Lipson

May I ask whether negotiations are going on with the local education authorities on the question of this grant, and will my hon. Friend give an assurance that he will give sympathetic consideration to a request for a substantial increase in the grant?

Mr. Lindsay

I understand that negotiations are shortly to take place over a much wider field.