§ Mr. MYERSasked the President of the Board of Education how many secondary schools in England and Wales, respectively, have been allowed to reduce the number of free places which the regulations ordinarily require; how many applications to reduce the number have been received from 1918, 1919, and 1920, respectively; and whether he will now refuse to allow any continued or further reduction of the required number of free places?
§ Mr. FISHERI will send the hon. Member the figures for which he asks in the first part of the question. It would involve an unjustifiable expenditure of time and labour to compile figures as to 903W the number of applications for reduction from the commencement of each of the school years 1917, 1918, and 1919, but I will send the hon. Member figures as to the number of such applications granted as from the beginning of each of those years. I am satisfied that the reasons stated in the White Paper presented to Parliament last Session [Cd. 241] for allowing a reduction of the ordinary requirement in special circumstances are still operative, and I do not see my way to adopt the suggestion made in the last part of the question. Each application for such reduction will be dealt with on its merits.