HC Deb 13 May 1912 vol 38 cc771-2
Mr. HUNT

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can say how much of the £173,000 per annum taken by the Government's Established Church (Wales) Bill out of the Endowments of the Welsh Church will be given to the Welsh Museum?

Mr. McKENNA

The amount that will be given to the Welsh Museum under the Bill will be one-eighth of what will be left of the Welsh estates now in the possession of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners after paying the expenses of carrying the Act into execution, all of which (except those incurred by county councils in the administration of their schemes) will fall on this property. The value of these estates is £26,700 a year. The payment, therefore, to the Museum can hardly reach £3,000 a year.

Mr. HUNT

Are we to understand from that that nearly £3,000 is going to be taken away from the teaching of religion and given to a museum?

Mr. McKENNA

I am afraid I can only leave the hon. Member to draw his own conclusions.

Mr. ORMSBY-GORE

Is it not provided in the Bill that all the glebe shall be treated for this purpose as part of the Welsh estates and that therefore the-figure £22,000 represents nothing like what will be divided up amongst those museums?

Mr. McKENNA

No, Sir.