§ 28. Mr. Storeyasked the Minister of Education why it has taken her Department and the Lancashire County Council two years to decide whether the Lancashire County Council has legal authority to pay interest on the loan borrowed by the managers of St. Hugh of Lincoln School, Lostock, for the construction of a kitchen, dining room, and medical inspection room on behalf of the local education authority; and how much longer she expects it will be before a decision is reached.
§ Miss HorsbrughThis case raised legal issues which, in the last resort, could be settled only by a court of law. I understand, however, that the local education authority have now agreed to make the payment in question. The view that they might be liable for meeting it was first communicated to them by my Department in August, 1951.
§ Mr. StoreyAs there are these legal difficulties will my right hon. Friend look into this question? It seems wrong that where governors of a school do work for the local authority they should not be paid the interest on loans which they incur.
§ Miss HorsbrughIf my hon. Friend looks into the decision I think he will 1189 find it is satisfactory. My Department gave this information in August, 1951, and I regret that the school managers did not follow it up.
§ Mr. StoreyWhile I agree with my right hon. Friend that the present decision is satisfactory, may I ask whether she will see that the same thing does not occur in other instances?