37. Major Diģbyasked the Minister of Education why no provision is made in Grant Regulations No. 2 (Amendment No. 1, 1946), issued by her Department, for additional school holidays, over and above the normal 10 holidays, such as it is customary in many schools to grant at the request of the distinguished visitor who attends the annual prize giving; and whether she will amend these regulations so as to make the grant of such extra holidays still possible.
§ The Minister of Education (Miss Ellen Wilkinson)I see no occasion to amend the Regulations to cover such exceptional holidays as the hon. Member has in mind. I should, however, see no objection to the continuance of the practice of granting a holiday on such occasions; and, if such a holiday cannot be granted out of the ten days allowed by the Regulation, I should be prepared to take the circumstance into account in considering any failure on the part of the school to comply with the full requirements of Regulation 20.