§ Mr. F. GRAYasked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that in a large number of cases great hardship is being caused to schoolmasters and school-mistresses with many years' service to their credit and the highest qualifications through the Government's policy of pressure upon the local education authorities to reduce the staffs; and whether he will give personal consideration to cases brought to his notice?
§ Mr. EDWARD WOODIt is, of course, difficult to give effect to any measures of retrenchment which financial conditions necessitate without the possibility of injuriously affecting the position or prospects of some individuals, but I am confident that local education authorities are doing everything in their power to minimise hardships. I do not think it would be proper or desirable for me to adopt a practice of interfering with the discretion of local education authorities in the treatment of individual cases.