HC Deb 30 March 1894 vol 22 cc1002-3
MR. DODD (Essex, Maldon)

I beg to ask the Parliamentary Charity Commissioner whether it is intended to add to or alter the composition of the Charity Commission in order to enable that body to carry out the new duties imposed upon them by the recent Local Government Act, and to obtain Returns of charity accounts from the numerous charities in which such Returns are now in arrears; and whether it is intended by that body in carrying out such new duties to apply at once or gradually the Resolution of this House of 18th May, 1886, that every scheme ought to provide for the majority of the trustees or managers being directly elected by the ratepayers in the locality to which the charity extends?

THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Mr. ACLAND,) York, W.R., Rotherham

(who replied) said: (1) The question of making proper provision to enable the Charity Commissioners to discharge, consistently with the due execution of their other duties, the particular duties mentioned in the question, will be raised at the proper time; meanwhile, the Commissioners have no information upon this point. (2) It has been stated in the Report of the Charity Commissioners for 1892 that for many years past they have introduced into their schemes the principle of the representative appointment of trustees, and that the representative element has not infrequently been placed in a majority by those schemes. The Commissioners do not propose to recede from the practice thus stated in the administration of the Local Government Act of last Session.

MR. DODD

May I ask what, in the opinion of the Commission, is the proper time at which these questions should be raised?

MR. ACLAND

I suppose some time between now and November.

MR. J. W. LOWTHER (Cumberland, Penrith)

Is it a fact that subsequent to the Resolution being passed by this House in May, 1886, a Select Committee reported they had satisfied themselves that the Resolution could not be practically carried into effect?

MR. ACLAND

I think it very likely they said that in reference to certain cases. The hon. Gentleman must understand I am only acting temporarily on behalf of the Charity Commission, and I can only give him the information they have forwarded to me.