§ MR. AUSTIN (York, W.R., Osgoldcross)asked the Secretary of 1310 State for the Home Department, If his attention has been drawn to a Memorial, sent to the Home Office in April, 1885, and to further communications on the same subject from the Visiting Committee of Her Majesty's Prison at York Castle, asking the Charity Commissioners to provide some scheme for the disbursement of funds left by benevolent persons for the benefit of the prisoners; if he can explain the delay of the Commissioners in promulgating their arrangements for dealing with these Charitable Funds; and, when the scheme may be expected to be forthcoming?
§ MR. J. W. LOWTHER (Cumberland, Penrith)(who replied) said: I may be allowed as a Commissioner to answer this Question. The Memorial referred to was forwarded by the Home Office to the Charity Commissioners with an application for the establishment of a scheme in April, 1886. The negotiations with the Prison Commissioners as to the model form of scheme to be eventually adopted in this and in many similar cases were very protracted; and great difficulties were experienced in obtaining the assent of the Prison Commissioners to the terms of the model scheme. Finally, in January last, the Charity Commissioners took the whole responsibility of the scheme upon themselves and established it. Several other schemes of a similar character, including one for the York Prison Charities, are now being proceeded with.