§ SIR W. FOSTER (Derbyshire, Ilkeston)I beg to ask the honourable Member for Thirsk, as representing the Charity Commissioners, whether the charities under the management or control of the Universities and Colleges of Oxford and Cambridge were investigated or reported upon either by the Charity Commissioners appointed in 1786, or by those appointed in the early part of the present century known as Lord Brougham's Commissioners; whether such charities are contained in any Digests or printed Reports of the present Commissioners; whether the Charity Commissioners have held any inquiries into any charities of the above description; and, if so, would he state into which, and whether they found them in a satisfactory state; and what number of such charities is in existence, and how many of them have sent up their accounts for the year 1897 and for the year 1898 respectively?
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY CHARITY COMMISSIONER (Mr. J. GRANT LAWSON, York, N. R., Thirsk)The answer to the first paragraph of the Question is in the negative. So far as the existence of any of these charities was known to the Charity Commissioners at the respective dates of the various Digests or Printed Reports made by the Commissioners they are contained in those documents. The Charity Commissioners have held inquiries into some of the charities in question, but it is impossible within the 221 limits of the answer to a Question, or, indeed, without great expenditure of labour, involving the examination of files and Reports extending over 45 years, to answer the remainder of the third paragraph of the Question. The Commissioners are not aware what number of these charities may be in existence, and, inasmuch as those of them whose existence is known to the Commissioners are in many instances not separately classified, it is likewise impossible to answer this Question, for the reason stated above. The Commissioners will be ready to furnish, as they have already done in certain cases, such information as they may possess as to any particular charity of the class mentioned which may be brought to their notice.
§ SIR W. FOSTERWhat about the accounts for the years 1897–98?
§ MR. GRANT LAWSONWe do not know how many such charities are in existence.