§ MR. INGRAM (Boston)asked the Vice President of the Committee of Council, Whether he is aware that, at inquiries recently held by one of the Charity Commissioners' inspectors into the condition of the charities of Kirton and Swineshead, both in Lincolnshire, it was found that the trustees, in spite of applications by the labourers, had neglected to put in force the Allotments Extension Act, 1882, and that generally the Act is a dead letter in Lincolnshire; whether he will assist the labourers to become tenants of allotments of charity lands by instructing the Charity Commissioners to issue a Circular to the various charity trustees in Lincolnshire, instructing them to give the necessary notices to quit to all tenants of lands available for allotment purposes before 6th April next; and, whether he is aware that, unless such notices are given before that date, the land will not be available to the labourers until 6th April 1888?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. HENRY H. FOWLER) (Wolverhampton, E.)The Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education has asked me to answer this Question for him. The Charity Commissioners have not as yet received the Report of their Inspector on the two inquiries mentioned, and are therefore not as yet aware of the facts of the case. The Report will probably be before them in the course of the week. The Commissioners cannot undertake to issue a general Circular, such as that suggested; but they are ready to investigate any particular case which is brought to their notice, and to use the powers with which they are invested to compel compliance with the law if necessary. It is the fact that land let on yearly tenancies from Lady Day would be in the conditions indicated in the last paragraph of the Question of the hon. Member; but the Charity Commissioners have 261 no certain knowledge with, regard to what land is in this condition.