VISCOUNT TEMPLE WOODasked Her Majesty's Government what action has been taken under Section 81 of the Education Act of 1944 with a view to making provision for boarding accommodation for families such as Service families that are not technically resident in the neighbourhood, which local authorities have provided accommodation of this kind, and to what extent they are reimbursed by the Ministry of Education.
§ EARL DE LA WARRUnder Section 81 of the Education Act, 1944, a local education authority has the power to contribute towards the cost of the boarding education of any child belonging to its area in respect of whom it is satisfied that such education is desirable. Under Section 6 of the Education Act, 1953, it is the authority's duty to pay the full cost of board and lodging where it is satisfied that suitable education for a pupil cannot otherwise be provided for him at any school. In either case the authority's expenditure ranks for grant from the Department of my right honourable friend the Minister of Education. Most Service families, if either parent is living in England or Wales, are the responsibility of the L.E.A. in whose area the parent is living, though where assistance has been given by an authority towards boarding, the authority may, if the parent moves out of the area later, recover the cost from a financial "pool" to which all authorities contribute. When both parents are abroad, any authority with which they or their children are connected may provide for the children's education and recover the cost from the "pool." Expenditure of this kind by an authority also attracts grant from the Ministry of Education. No special accommodation has been provided, nor could it be provided, under Section 81 of the Education Act, 1944. Use has been made of boarding accommodation in existing maintained. direct grant or independent schools.