asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will publish the terms of Circular No. 1464; and whether he is aware that, as a result of this being issued, a number of schemes for developing or extending secondary schools have been abandoned by local authorities; and what is he doing to counteract this?

Circular 1464 has been given a very wide circulation and its terms have been quoted in the educational Press and extensively noticed in the general Press. The Circular does not call for the abandonment of any secondary school proposals, and I have no evidence that it has led to this result. All that the Circular does in this respect is to require local education authorities, save in exceptional circumstances, to postpone the replacement, improvement or enlargement of existing secondary schools.

Can the hon. Member say whether the circular affects schemes which were approved in principle at the time when the Circular was issued?

Each case is dealt with on its merits.

Has the circular been published?

The circular has been widely circulated.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether it is the intention of his Department to maintain the deduction of £15,000 per month from Liverpool education grants; what are the total deductions to date; and what arrangements have been made to implement the Education Act, 1936, in Liverpool?

The Board's decision to withhold £15,000 from each of the monthly instalments of substantive grant for elementary education, owing to the failure of the local education authority to deal adequately with the problem of public elementary school supply in the Dockside area, has been taken in order to avoid the over-payment of grant should the Board find themselves obliged at the end of the current financial year to declare the authority in default and to make a deduction from the grant—in which case the Board would have to report the matter to Parliament. I cannot anticipate the decision which the Board may take. The total amount of grant withheld to date is £75,000. If the hon. Member in the last part of his question refers to the matter of grants for voluntary senior schools under Section 8 of the Education Act, 1936, the answer is that the Liverpool authority have decided to make no such grants.

Is it the intention of the Government if Liverpool should fail at the end of the year to take action to bring them to this House as defaulters?

I think that is a dangerously hypothetical question.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will state, separately, the total number of students who left teachers' training colleges in England at the end of the session 1937–38, July, 1938; the total number of students who left teachers' training colleges in Wales in July, 1938; the total number known to have obtained employment as teachers in England; and the total number known to have obtained employment as teachers in Wales?

As the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education what steps the Government propose to take to carry out the recommendations of the committee of inquiry into problems relating to children with defective hearing, and, in particular, if steps are being taken for the establishment of schemes for the treatment of ear diseases and defective hearing as a branch of the school medical service of local education authorities; and whether these schemes include the provision of outpatient treatment and facilities for hospital treatment?

The Board are in general agreement with the recommendations of the committee and are now considering what steps are necessary to give effect to them. About one-half of the local education authorities are known to have schemes for the treatment of ear diseases and defective hearing. These schemes comprise arrangements either for the services of visiting specialists at aural clinics, or for the provision at hospitals of inpatient or out-patient treatment. The Board drew attention to the need for expert treatment of car disease by these methods in Circular 1444, published in January, 1936.

Can the hon. Member say when the Board expect to come to a definite decision in the matter?

We are waiting for returns from the local authorities, which will come in the New Year.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education when the work of reconstructing the Hackney Downs School, the plans for which have been passed by the Board of Education and the London County Council, will be commenced?

Preliminary plans for the reconstruction of Hackney Downs School have received the general approval of the Board, but as final plans have not yet been submitted, the proposal has been returned to the local education authority for further consideration in the light of Circular 1464. The question of further progress at the present time with the whole or part of this project will depend upon the Board's consideration of any views that may be expressed by the authority.

Does the hon. Member understand that this school is a very ancient and honourable one, that it is still lit by gas, and that there is a very urgent need for reconstruction at the earliest possible moment?

I have the exact details of this school, and the case will be sympathetically considered.

Is this another case of inefficiency of the Socialist London County Council?

Can the Chancellor of the Exchequer say what business will be taken next week?

Monday: Committee and remaining stages of the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill, and Committee stage of the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Money Resolution.

• Tuesday and Thursday: Second Reading of the Criminal Justice Bill and Committee stage of the necessary Financial Resolution.
• Wednesday: Private Members' Motions.
• Friday: Private Members' Bills will be considered.

May I ask when the Government propose to bring before the House the report of the Committee on the Official Secrets Acts?

I am afraid that I am not in a position to announce the day when it will be possible for my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to find an opportunity for a discussion of the report of the Select Committee on the Official Secrets Acts.

Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that this is a Committee of this House to inquire into the action of certain Ministers, and that it is very undesirable to leave it over for a long time; and, further, a very important question with which it deals is the use of the Official Secrets Acts in respect of Members carrying on their official duties in this House?

I bear that in mind. Of course, the House will appreciate that at this period of the Session we ought to get on with the Second Readings of very important Bills, but I feel sure that the Prime Minister will do his best to provide an opportunity for this discussion before the Christmas Recess.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say when the Committee will be reconstituted, in order to carry out the second part of the task allotted to it?

I should prefer to answer that question later.

Is it the intention of His Majesty's Government to proceed with the Milk Bill?

indicated assent.

Does not the business which has been announced by the right hon. Gentleman mean that the Milk Bill has either been dropped or that it is to be altered in some way?

No. The question that was put to me was as to the business for next week. I gave the information relating to business next week, but not for the week after.