HC Deb 10 July 1899 vol 74 cc312-3
MR. CARVELL WILLIAMS (Notts., Mansfield)

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether, under Sub-section (2), of Clause 2, of the Tithe Rent Charge (Rates) Bill, there will be a remission of half the rates payable by the City of London clergy, who, under the Acts of 22 and 23 Charles II., cap. 15, and 4 Anne, cap. 27, receive certain fixed payments in lieu of the tithes payable to them previous to the fire of London.

* THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. LONG,) Liverpool, West Derby

My impression is that the payments to which the hon. Member refers are not rateable, and if this be so the Bill would not, of course, have any effect so far as they were concerned.

MR. HUMPHREYS-OWEN (Montgomeryshire)

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture if he will state the amount which under the Tithe Rent-charge (Rates) Bill will be deducted from the share of the administrative county of Montgomery in the Estate Duty grant.

* MR. LONG

The share of Montgomeryshire in a sum of £87,000 distributed in the proportion of what are known as the discontinued grants would amount to £229.

MR. HUMPHREYS-OWEN

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the benefices of Carno, Landinam, Lanidloes, Llanwnog, and Trefeglwys, in the County of Montgomery, each of which has a share of tithe rent-charge belonging to Bangor Cathedral, will be relieved under the Tithe Rent-Charge (Rates) Bill from half the rates payable on those shares.

* MR. LONG

In the absence of more precise information as to the nature of the arrangement which has been carried out in the case of the benefices to which the hon. Member refers, it is not possible for me to express an opinion as to whether there has been any such attachment of the rent-charge to the benefices as to entitle the incumbents to relief in respect thereof. We ourselves have no record of any transfer of tithe rent-charge from the Dean and Chapter of Bangor to the incumbents of the parishes in question since the commutation.

MR. M'KENNA (Monmouth, N.)

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he can state the total amount of tithe rent-charge attached to benefices which are under the patronage of private persons.

* MR LONG

I have made inquiries, but I have been unable to obtain the information asked for by the hon. Member. It is not a matter in regard to which any official particulars are available.