§ Mr. RONALD McNEILLasked the President of the Board of Education whether the Board has issued a circular notifying that there are to be no State scholarships this year or next year; why no opportunity for discussion of such a policy has been afforded to the House; whether the circular referred to represents the considered policy of the Government; and what will be the total saving of money effected thereby?
§ Mr. FISHERThe Board have issued a circular drawing attention to the answer which I gave in this House to a question asked on 13th March to the effect that the Government had decided that no new awards of State scholarships shall be made in the financial years 1922–23 and 1923–24, but that the question shall be reviewed at the end of two years. This decision is one of those arrived at by the Government on consideration of the recommendations of the Committee on National Expenditure. No one is more anxious than I am that an early opportunity should be taken of discussing this and other matters relating to the Board's Estimates. The total saving of money which will be effected thereby is, approximately, £16,000 in 1922–23 and £32,000 in 1923–24. If the scheme were entirely abandoned the ultimate saving would be about £48,000 per annum.