§ Mr. KINGasked the President of the Board of Education, whether it is the usual practice of the Board to send petitions received against sanctioning a new unprovided school to the persons promoting it; and what are the reasons, if any, for this practice.
§ Mr. J. A. PEASEIt is the uniform practice of the Board to communicate to promoters of new schools, whether they are council schools or voluntary schools, the terms of petitions received against their establishment and the number of the signatories. It is obviously not only necessary, in order that the Board may be in possession of all the facts, but fair that the promoters, whoever they may be, should have the opportunity of answering objections before the Board decide as to the necessity of the school. As regards the communication of names of signatories the practice has not been uniform, but I think I am bound to communicate the names when they are asked for by either of the parties in a controversial case unless I am satisfied that there are substantial reasons for withholding them. If any point material to the decision of the case turns upon the identity or qualifications of the signatories or the genuineness of the signatures, it is desirable for the Board's information that the promoters of a new school or the local education authority should have a reasonable opportunity of criticising the petitions on those grounds. In any case in which the names of petitioners are not communicated I should be prepared to hold a public inquiry on the application of the local education authority or the promoters.