§ Lieut.-Colonel Macnamaraasked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the Essex Education Committee's expenditure on air-raid precautions in schools before 19th October, 1941, was £175,000; that the Exchequer is repaying only one-half of this; and whether they will pay the full amount, so that a committee which did its job before 19th October, 1941, is not penalised for having done so?
§ Mr. RamsbothamYes, Sir, but in limiting the 100 per cent. rate of grant in respect of school shelters to expenditure incurred on or after 19th October last the Board followed precisely the same line as was adopted by the Ministry of Home Security in regard to expenditure on public shelters, and I can hold out no hope of the new rate being applied retrospectively.
§ Mr. Silvermanasked the President of the Board of Education whether he will now pay to all education authorities 100 per cent. of the cost of providing approved school air-raid shelters, whether or not contracts for them were placed before them before 19th October, 1940?
§ Mr. RamsbothamI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to-day to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Lieut.-Colonel Macnamara).