§ SIR WALTER FOSTER (Derby, Ilkeston)asked the Vice President of Committee of Council on Education, Whether his attention has been directed to the statements of the Charity Commissioners in their 34th Report on the necessity for summary proceedings to compel payment, of rent-charges in the case of small charity estates; whether he will introduce a Bill next Session to enable—
The rights of charities in cases of this description to be summarily asserted, and the further waste and abstraction of property dedicated to a charitable and therefore a public use prevented;and, whether he will grant a Return of the names, addresses, and descriptions of the persons who have within the last five years withheld, or attempted to withhold, the payment of a rent-charge or other sum to a charity, and of which withholding, or attempted, withholding, notice has been given to the Charity Commissioners?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT (Sir WILLIAM HART DYKE) (Kent, Dartford)Evidence was given before the Select Committee which inquired into the operation of the Charitable Trusts Acts in 1884 as to the necessity of facilitating by summary legal proceedings the prevention of the waste and abstraction of charity property in regard to the payment of rent-charges; and the Report of the Committee recommended the extension of the powers of the Charity Commissioners in the direction indicated by the Bill of 1883. Until it has in each case been legally determined whether the withholding, or attempting to withhold, the payment of rent-charge to a charity is or is not in accordance with the rights of the parties it would be obviously im- 1098 proper to give the Return asked for, which might have the effect of prejudicing the position of individuals who are doing no more than asserting their legal rights; but the whole matter shall receive my careful attention.