§ CAPTAIN PRICE (Devonport)asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty, What has the cost of auditing the accounts of Greenwich Hospital been hitherto, and what is the estimated cost for the coming year; and, why is this charge now transferred from Naval to Greenwich Hospital Account?
§ THE CIVIL LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. R. W. DUFF) (Banffshire)The charge for auditing the capital and income accounts of Greenwich Hospital was, in 1870, fixed at £400 a-year. Owing to the sale of large portions of the landed property of the Hospital this was eventually reduced, in 1879, to £50 a-year. Up to 1885 no charge had been made for the audit of the appropriation account; but the Treasury having re- 814 quired that this should also be paid for, the present amount of £348 was fixed. At no time have naval funds borne the charge for the audit of Greenwich Hospital accounts. The Admiralty are unable to lay the Report of the Committee on Greenwich Hospital upon the Table. This Report contains much matter of a confidential nature, which in the interests of the Charity it would be very undesirable to make public.