HC Deb 25 June 1920 vol 130 cc2549-51W
Mr. MOLES

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware of the acute hardship which prevails amongst the ranks of pensioned teachers of national schools in Ireland, many of whom have no means of

detailed Return of the number of days' annual leave granted to store warders and clerk warders for the years 1918 and 1919, also the number of weekly rest days, exclusive of Sunday, the number of hours' relaxation for evening duty, and the number of half-days in respect of bank holidays these officers have been in receipt of for the period between 1st January and 1st June, 1920, in the male prisons of Cork, Waterford, Limerick, Galway and Sligo?

Mr. HENRY

The following statement gives the information asked for:—

subsistence except their pensions, which average only £50 per annum; and whether, in view of the promises repeatedly given to revise the scale of pensions, he will see that steps are immediately taken to redeem the promises made, and thus alleviate the acute suffering entailed by the present state of affairs?

The PRIME MINISTER

It has been decided that pensioned Irish teachers shall be eligible for the benefits recommended by the Cabinet Committee for pre-War pensioners generally.

Lieut.-Colonel ALLEN

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that the Estimates for public education in England for the year 1920–21, exceed the expenditure for the year 1918–19 by £26,377,450, and that the Estimate for the same period in Scotland exceeds the expenditure by £3,834,063, while the Estimate for Ireland for the same purpose only exceeds the expenditure by £755,208; will he explain why education in Ireland is being so crippled in comparison with other parts of the United Kingdom; and will he say what steps the Government is prepared to take to make provision for the teachers who are starving on their present salaries, and many of whom are leaving Ireland for better-paid appointments elsewhere?

The PRIME MINISTER

The figures given in the hon. and gallant Member's question correctly represent the differences between the net totals of the Estimates for 1920–21 and the expenditure of 1918–19, in the case of the votes for the Board of Education, England, public education, Scotland, and public education, Ireland, but are not strictly comparable, owing to variations between the services for which these votes provide, the first two Votes, for example, including provision for secondary education, and for grants for higher education of ex-officers, which, in the case of Ireland, is made in the Votes for Intermediate Education and for the Chief Secretary's Office. As regards the latter part of the question, I would refer to my reply of yesterday to the question of the hon. Member for the Shankhill Division of Belfast (Mr. M'Guffin).