§ MR. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green, S.W.)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the statement made to Mr. Mead, the Police Magistrate sitting at Thames Street, that for many years past it has been the practice in the parish of Wapping to serve notices demanding a voluntary Church Rate on the same form as is used for the general, sewers, and poor rates, and that the Magistrate has expressed the opinion that many persons have paid the rate, believing that they were compelled to do so; whether in other parishes voluntary Church Rates are collected in a similar way; and whether the Local Government Board will take steps to prevent Local Authorities applying for voluntary Church Rates by means liable to produce the impression that the payment of them is compulsory?
§ MR. RITCHIEMy attention has not been called to the statement made to Mr. Mead, the Police Magistrate at Thames Street, that for many years past it has been the practice of the parish of Wapping to serve notices demanding a voluntary Church Rate on the same form as is used for the general, sewers, and poor rates. I have no information as to other parishes in which voluntary Church Rates are collected in a similar way. The Local Government Board have no jurisdiction as regards the form in which the General and Sewer Rates are levied in the Metropolis. The Board, however, concur in the opinion that the including of a voluntary rate in the forms of demand note for the Poor Rate or other rate levied under statutory authority is open to much objection. The views of the Board on this subject are communicated 703 to the officers concerned, where they learn that the practice referred to has existed.