§ SIR JOHN DICKSON-POYNDER (Wiltshire, Chippenham)To ask the President of the Board of Education whether the Board, in dealing with the application of the London County Council for a Provisional Order to take a part of the Cloudesley Charity Estate for a school for mentally-afflicted children, are aware that the charity is the one large charity in Islington, that upon its grants other charities of Islington, including the Great Northern Hospital and the poorer churches, are largely dependent, and that the Order, if granted, would result in a deterioration in the value of the charity property, which could not be made good by money compensation; and whether he will consider the advisability of withholding his assent from this proposal.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) I am aware of the allegations referred to in the Question, and I have reason to hope that they may be exaggerated. But whether this is so or not, the Board, in considering whether a Provisional Order should be issued for the compulsory purchase of a site, have always held that any question as to the depreciation in value of surrounding property was for the consideration of Parliament when the Provisional Order Confirmation Bill is before it, and not for the Board.