§ MR. CLOUGH (Yorkshire, W.R., Skipton)To ask the hon. Member for the Barnstaple Division, as representing the 1666 Charity Commissioners, whether there is a scheme for out-pensions in connection with the Waddington Hospital Charity, and, if so, when was it first put into practice; how many out-pensioners are there; how much do they each receive weekly; whether the out-pensioners are confined to persons who are married, unmarried, widows, or widowers; whether there is any age limit; whether there are any vacancies amongst the out-pensioners of the charity, and, if so, how many, and when did they occur; whether there has been any vacancy since 20th December, 1907, when the trustees promised to consider the case of William Coulthurst of West Bradford; whether Coulthurst's case has since been considered, and what was the decision arrived at; who are the present trustees of the charity; and whether there are vacancies on the board of trustees; and, if so, how many.
(Answered by Mr. Soares.) The Waddington Hospital Charity is regulated by schemes of the Charity Commissioners, dated 4th August, 1885, and 21st October, 1887, which came into operation on those dates respectively. The pensions, which are payable out of the surplus income after providing for the other objects of the charity, are regulated by the scheme of 1885, and the number is fixed from time to time by the trustees, "with due regard to the amount of income available for their payment and the other circumstances of the charity." The number of pensioners has varied from thirty-two to twenty. At the present time there are twenty-six. The pensioners receive £20 per annum, i.e., 7s. 8¼d. per week. The pensioners must be poor persons of good character, either married or single, and possessing the qualifications as to residence specified in the scheme. There is no age limit. On 13th December, 1907, there were twenty-nine pensioners. Three have died since that date, two in March and one in May last. William Coulthurst's case has not been considered since 20th December last. The present trustees are Colonel Parker, R. J. Aspinall, H. W. Worsley Taylor, K.C., W. Peel, the Reverend F. Parker, R. C. Assheton, E. LcGendre Starkie, A. C. M. Redhead, and W. King Wilkinson. There are no 1667 vacancies in the body of trustees. The trustees have recently incurred a considerable expense in connection with new sewerage works undertaken by the rural district council.