HC Deb 14 October 1915 vol 74 cc1501-2W
Mr. PARTINGTON

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, with a view to aiding local education authorities to effect economies, he will modify the rules and orders of the Board which regulate procedure in cases of application for powers of compulsory purchase over land required for education purposes, particularly with regard to the number of times, the method of publication, and the details required to be specified in notices given pursuant to Section 20 of the Elementary Education Act, 1870, more especially as this Section provides for other notices containing similar information to be served upon every owner, lessee, and occupier of the land to be taken; and whether he will either prescribe a less expensive method of publication or assimilate the rules and orders of the Board relating to such notices to Standing Order No. 9 of this House relating to Private Bills?

Mr. A. HENDERSON

In reply to the hon. Member's question, I may point out that Section 20 of the Elementary Education Act, 1870, requires that the authority shall publish notices of compulsory purchase proposals during three consecutive weeks, and that Section 20 of the Elementary Education Act, 1873, requires that notices shall be published either by advertisement and by affixing the same on the doors of churches and chapels, and other public places, or in such other manner as the Board of Education may either generally, or with respect to any particular places, determine as being in their opinion sufficient for giving information to all persons interested. The requirement as to advertisement is regarded as being satisfied by an advertisement inserted once in each week during three consecutive weeks, and this appears to he the minimum amount of advertisement which would satisfy the requirements of the Section. I am prepared to consider any application which may be made for substituting in any particular locality some other mode of publication for that mentioned in Section 20 of the Act of 1873. With regard to the last part of the hon. Member's question, I may point out that the Board are bound by Statute in the matter.