§ Mr. R. RICHARDSONasked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to the fact that out of the 23 secondary council schools which have been allowed to reduce the number of free places which the regulations ordinarily require nine are in the county of Cheshire; that in only one of these cases is the relaxation due to adequate provision of free places in neighbouring schools; whether the reason of financial circumstances given in several cases means that the Board of Education approves of a policy of saving the local 1572W rates; and why Cheshire is unable to finance its council secondary schools?
§ Mr. FISHERIn most of these cases a reduction was originally allowed on financial grounds, but in view of recent change of circumstances, particularly the increase of the Board's grants and the removal of the limit of the rating powers of county authorities, I propose to have the cases reviewed.
§ Mr. MYERSasked the President of the Board of Education the average annual cost per pupil in the secondary schools of England and Wales, the average annual cost per scholar in the elementary schools of England and Wales, together with the average grant for scholars from the Government in respect of the elementary schools.
§ Mr. FISHEROwing to the necessary suspension of statistical work during the War and the depletion of the Board's staff, I regret that I can give no recent figures as to the average cost per pupil of grant-aided secondary schools in England and Wales. The average cost to public funds per scholar in public elementary schools in the year 1919–20, according to the estimates of local education authorities of their expenditure, is £8 10s.; the estimated average grant for the year 1919–20 is £5 0s. 5d.