HC Deb 11 September 1893 vol 17 cc829-30
MR. LLOYD-GEORGE

I beg to ask the hon. Member for Merionethshire whether his attention has been drawn to a County Court action instituted by the Trustees of a certain Charity at Pennrynydd, Anglesea, to eject a person, named William Jones, from their almshouses, upon the ground, amongst other things, of an alleged breach of Regulations which demanded attendance at the parish church as a condition of tenancy; whether the Founder of such almshouses had attached any such condition to the enjoyment of the gift; and whether such Regulations were made by the Trustees with the sanction of the Charity Commissioners; and, if not, whether the Charity Commissioners propose to take any action to enforce the fair and impartial administration of the Trust according to the declared wishes of the Founder?

THE PARLIAMENTARY CHARITY COMMISSIONER (Mr. T. E. ELLIS,) Merionethshire

(1.) The information before the Commissioners, which is mainly derived from the newspaper report of the proceedings in the County Court, indicates that the non-residence of the defendant was the main cause of the decision given against him. (2.) Neither residence in the almshouses nor attendance at the parish church was made by the Founder a condition of his gift. (3.) The Regulations in question appear from the Reports of the former Commissioners for inquiring concerning Charities (1837) to have been made very shortly after the foundation of the Charity, and probably by the individuals appointed by the Founder to be the original Trustees of his will, and consequently have not received the sanction of the Charity Commissioners. A Regulation prohibiting non-residence is one which it is within the competence of the Trustees of an almshouse to make, and the Commissioners see no reason for interfering with the action of the Trustees in enforcing such a Regulation. Any Regulation compelling attendance at parish church would be invalid as being contrary to the declaration of the Founder. The Commissioners have decided to apply for the production of the alleged Regulations, and if any of them are found to be ultra vires, or contradictory of the wishes of the Founder, steps will be promptly taken to remedy the matter.