HC Deb 27 June 1893 vol 14 cc138-9
MR. COBB

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that on June 13 a Memorial was presented to the Governors of Queen Anne's Bounty, signed by the leaseholders of 369 properties out of a total of 423 forming the Newton Abbot estate, asking them to sell the freeholds at a fair price, and that on June 15 the Secretary wrote to the Paymaster General, who forwarded the Memorial, declining to acquiesce in the request contained in it; whether he is aware that, in order to meet the possible objection of the Governors to sell only a portion of the estate, a number of gentlemen are willing to purchase the whole estate at a higher price than the Governors gave for it, and to sell it in detail at the same proportionate price to the various leaseholders; and whether, if such an offer is formally made, he will, having regard to the unanimous Report of the Town Holdings Committee, and to the desirability of carrying out the general policy of assisting leaseholders to acquire their freeholds, represent to the Governors that it should not be rejected without very weighty reasons?

MR. GILLIAT (Lancashire, S.W., Widnes)

Does the right hon. Gentleman think that the recommendations of the Town Holdings Committee are at all applicable to this estate, seeing that it was acquired by the Commissioners of Queen Anne's Bounty as the best class of investment for the Charity, and that stringent conditions were imposed for the benefit of the town which were not imposed on subsequent purchasers?

MR. ASQUITH

AS to the supplemental question, the hon. Member must see it is asking for my opinion whether the recommendations of a certain Committee are applicable to this estate. That is a point on which I have no authority to express an opinion. As to the question on the Paper, I understand that the statements in the first paragraph are accurate. I have no knowledge or information on the subject of the second paragraph. As to the third paragraph, I must repeat what I have said before, that I have no authority to control the Governors' proceedings in a matter of this kind. They are an independent Body with statutory powers, and, although I have done what I could informally to have all the facts brought before them, I have no title to make any representation to them as to the manner in which they should exercise the discretion which they possess.