§ Mr. CLOUGHasked the President of the Board of Education whether he can give the following particulars as regards the Lindsey Local Education Authority, Lincolnshire:—The total number of school-places in the provided and non-provided elementary schools; the average attendance in the elementary schools for the years 1904–5, 1905–6, 1906–7, 1907–8, 1908–9; the number of provided schools that they have built since the appointed day; their allocation of the cost of new schools as between the immediate locality to be served by such new schools and the county as a whole; the amount of their elementary rate; how much whisky money they spend upon, and what rate they levy for, education higher than elementary; their scholarship scheme; the number of secondary schools and training colleges, and in how many of them are sectarian tests imposed upon student-teachers or students, and whether the sectarian secondary schools and training colleges are subsidised out of the rate that is levied for higher education; and the amount of any subsidy that they pay towards some university?
§ Mr. RUNCIMAN:For an answer to the first and second parts of the question I must refer my hon. Friend to the published statistics of the Board of Education. The local education authority have built eleven new permanent council schools and four temporary council schools since the appointed day. The Board do not possess the information necessary for a reply to the fourth part of the question. The total amount of the rates raised by the local education authority for elementary education in the year 1907–8, the latest year as to which the Board have information, was £22,667. The amount of "whisky money" received by them in the same year was £6,049. Whisky money must be spent for education higher than elementary. No rate was levied by the local education authority for education higher than elementary in the year 1907–8. An answer to the seventh part of the question will be found in the "Higher Education Handbook," issued by the Education Committee in June, 1909, a copy of which my hon. Friend can no doubt obtain. There are nine secondary schools in the area of the administrative county on the grant list. All these schools are endowed schools governed by schemes, and they comply fully with the Board's regulations for 916W secondary schools; it follows from this that no sectarian tests can be imposed upon any students in these schools. It is understood that the local education authority pay grants amounting to £1,005 annually in aid of these schools. There are no training colleges in the area of the Administrative County of Parts of Lindsey. The Board have no information on the subject referred to in the ninth part of the question.