§ 16. Mr. Wainwrightasked the Minister of Education if owing to the heavy cost of education that is being borne by local authorities, he will take immediate steps to ensure that the cost of teachers' salaries shall now become the responsibility of the central Government.
§ Sir E. BoyleNo, Sir.
§ Mr. WainwrightDoes the Minister realise that the cost of teachers' salaries is imposing a very heavy burden on education throughout the country? In so far as he himself thinks that he is justified in interfering with the conditions attached to the Burnham Committee's award and his predecessor thought himself justified in intervening over the total amount which was granted, ought not the Government now to take over the responsibility of teachers' salaries throughout the country?
§ Sir E. BoyleThis would be a very serious decision from the point of view of education as a local government service. While I felt it necessary to intervene on this occasion, nothing I have done, in my view, makes it any the less important that education should be for the future also a national service administered locally.