§ Mr. FREDERICK WHYTEasked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that, under the Minute of the Scottish Education Department dated 20th June, 1912, and approved 11th October, 1912, governing the allocation of the Education (Scotland) Fund, the school board of Perth will suffer a financial loss; whether he is further aware that the budget of the school board for the current year was framed on the basis of the Grant received last year, and that an unforeseen diminution in this source of revenue will place the board in a position of embarrassment; and whether, in these circumstances, he will advise that the contemplated reduction will not take place during the current year?
Mr. McKINNON WOODI am aware that under the Minute referred to the school board of Perth, in common with most other school boards in Scotland, will receive less money from the Education (Scotland) Fund than it did in the previous year, for the simple reason that there is less money to distribute The diminution in the balance of the Education (Scotland) Fund, owing to the coming into operation of the superannuation scheme, was perfectly well known beforehand, and affects most other school boards in the country as well as the school board of Perth. I see no reason whatever to depart at this date from the terms of the Minute, the general principles of which have been discussed over and over again, and which has lain for the prescribed period on the Table of both Houses of Parliament.