§ Mr. KINGasked the Home Secretary whether he will make it a condition of any school in England and Wales, other than a Jewish or Roman Catholic school, being, or continuing to be, certified as a reformatory or industrial school within the meaning of Part IV. of the Children Act, 1908, that every youthful offender or child therein, or on licence therefrom, is supplied by the managers with a well-printed copy of the Bible or New Testament as his or her own property?
§ Mr. McKENNAIt is the practice in many of the reformatory and industrial schools for Bibles or New Testaments to be supplied to the children or young persons on their leaving the school, and in some cases Bibles or New Testaments are given to the children while they are still inmates, for their private use. I agree that it is desirable that this course should be adopted generally, and I have asked the chief inspector to arrange that in cases where the books are not supplied the point shall be brought to the notice of the managers when the schools are visited.
§ Mr. KINGasked the Secretary for Scotland whether he will make it a condition 2374W of any school in Scotland, other than a Jewish or Roman Catholic school, being, or continuing to be, certified as a reformatory or industrial school within the meaning of Part IV. of the Children Act, 1908, that every youthful offender or child therein, or on licence therefrom, is supplied by the managers with a well-printed copy of the New Testament or Bible as his or her own property?
Mr. McKINNON WOODI can assure my hon. Friend that the question of taking steps in the direction which he suggests will have my sympathetic consideration.