§ Mr. T. JOHNSTONasked the Under-Secretary to the Scottish Board of Health if the grant for education in Scotland was reduced by £820,000 in 1922–23; if a further reduction of £381,500 is notified for 1923–24; if the county education 995W authorities have protested that this further reduction means either a lowering of the standards of efficiency and service or an increase in local education rates; and if he will have the whole matter reexamined with a view to preventing the collapse of the educational ideals of the Scottish nation?
§ Captain ELLIOTThe figures given in the first part of the question represent the estimated reduction in the grants payable to Scottish education authorities for the years mentioned. Formal protests have been received from three county education authorities. While my Noble Friend regrets the decrease of grants, education authorities will still receive approximately the amount of grant paid in 1920–21, which was nearly £5,600,000, as compared with a little over £2,000,000 paid in 1913–14; and he has every confidence that education authorities will be able to adjust themselves to the present financial situation.