§ MR. JEFFREYS (Hants, Basingstoke)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, before the Motion for the Second Reading of the Established Church (Wales) Bill, he will lay upon the Table of the House a Return, by parishes and counties, of the property of the Church in Wales in glebe and tithe rent-charge, showing in each case whether such property would be devoted by the Bill to parochial purposes or to the central fund; and whether he would include in such Return a statement of the tithe rent-charge in each parish belonging to colleges and schools, or to lay impropriators?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. ASQUITH,) Fife, E.The latest information as to the quantity of glebe land in Wales and elsewhere is contained in the Glebe Lands Return of 1887. and, as to tithe, in the Commutation of Tithes Return of the same year. It would be possible to compile from these Returns a statement (a) of the quantity and estimated gross rental of glebe land belonging to benefices in Welsh dioceses, and (b) a statement of the tithe rent-charge in each parish in a Welsh diocese, distinguishing between the sums payable to clerical appropriators, to parochial incumbents, to lay impropriators, and to colleges, schools, &c. But the Home Office has no information as to the extent to which the figures given in the Glebe Lands Return have been affected by operations under the Act to facilitate the sale of glebe lands (the Glebe Lauds Act, 1888) passed in 1888; and it would certainly not be possible to prepare, before the Second Reading of the Bill, a Return such as the hon. Gentleman asks for, showing how each description of property would be allocated on its becoming law.
§ MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)May I ask if the right hon. Gentleman can give the House any idea when the Second Reading of the Welsh Church Disestablishment Bill will be taken?
§ MR. ASQUITHNo, Sir.