§ MR. D. THOMAS (Merthyr Tydvil)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that in Return 240 of last Session, relating to the endowments of the Church in Wales, the Endowments attached to parochial benefices in the counties of Cardiff and Newport are included in those of Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire, and cannot be distinguished there from unless the parishes comprised in the former counties are known; whether he can name the parishes included in the counties of Cardiff and Newport, and say whether the areas of the counties are coterminous with those of the ecclesiastical parishes; and whether, out of the total ancient endowments attached to parochial benefices in Wales and Monmouthshire, amounting to a gross annual value of £234,000, the amount it, is intended under the Established Church (Wales) Bill to vest in the councils of the counties of Cardiff and Newport will exceed £416 and £352 respectively; and if so, by how much in each case?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. H. H. ASQUITH,) Fife, E.I have no materials for answering this question which are not equally accessible to my hon. Friend, Indeed, it appears from the concluding paragraph that, so far as the pecuniary aspect of the matter is concerned, he is able to answer it himself, and, without pledging myself to their accuracy, I have no reason to doubt that, the figures which he has suggested are correct.
§ MR. D. THOMASI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether, under the Established Church (Wales) Bill, it is intended that the income of £88, arising out of the parish of Ystradyfodwg, and now paid to the Incumbent of Llantrissant, in Glamorganshire, is to be earmarked by the Council of that county to meet the wants and circumstances of Ystradyfodwg or Llantrissant; and (2) whether, in the latter case, the amount of gross 1697 income upon which the Rhondda Valleys will have a prior claim exceeds £489?
§ MR. ASQUITHThere is no question of earmarking; the tithe rentcharge goes to the County Council to be disposed of by schemes, in the framing of which due regard is to be had to the wants and circumstances of the parish in or from which the property is situate or has been decided, and generally to the circumstances of the case. It is impossible to predict precisely how this power will be exercised in particular cases. As to the second paragraph, it is a matter of computation from the figures of the Parliamentary Return.