§ Mr. W. R. SMITHasked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to the grave discontent existing among the elementary school teachers serving under the Northamptonshire County Council; whether he is aware that many of these teachers have received less than a 20 per cent. increase upon their pre-war salaries; and, considering the fact that the Board of Education refunds to the county council three-fifths of all money expended on teachers' salaries, whether any steps can be taken by the Board of Education to secure fairer treatment for the teachers?
§ Mr. FISHERThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The county local education authority informed the Board last October that they were still considering the position of the teachers in their service, and had not finally decided upon the regulations which would govern the application to those teachers of the new scale in force from 1st April, 1918. I am not aware of the precise percentage of increase upon 433W previous salary received by the teachers up till now. I do not see what action I can usefully take at the present moment.