§ Mr. KINGalso asked whether any local authorities have pleaded the declining birth-rate as a ground for building or providing less elementary school accommodation than the usual percentage of population which has been taken to be as of school age; whether this plea has been in any case accepted by the Board; and whether cases within the last two years can be named where such contention has been admitted?
Mr. PEASEOne local education authority has recently mentioned in this connection the decline of the birth-rate, but I am not aware of any cases in which the decision of the Board has been affected by this consideration.
§ Mr. KINGasked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the declining birth-rate is now more than outweighed by the rapid decrease, especially during the last few years, of infantile mortality; and whether, under these circumstances, he will adopt a new formula for the proportion of the population for whom school places are to be provided by local authorities?
Mr. PEASEThe number of school places to be provided by a local education authority is not now decided by any formula, but upon the best information which can be procured with regard to the actual needs of the locality. So far as recent statistics show there appears to be no stable proportion between the birthrate and infantile mortality.