Mr. T. THOMSONasked the President of the Board of Education if he will revise the formula on which grants to necessitous school areas are based, so as to include the expenditure on secondary education as well as on elementary education when calculating the burden on the locality for educational purposes?
§ Mr. TREVELYANThe question whether there should be introduced into the system of grants in aid of higher education an element of differentiation between areas with high and low rates, such as is embodied in the Regulations for grants in aid of elementary education, is important and deserves careful consideration. It was expected that the Report of Lord Neston's Committee would afford some guidance as to the 2277W modifications which might be introduced into the grant system, and although that Report has not yet been received, I can assure the hon. Member that the point raised by him will not be overlooked; but at the present time I am not in a position to commit myself on the matter.