§ 12. Mr. KINGasked the Home Secretary whether, in determining the value of the annual income derived from tithe rent-charge under The Welsh Church Act, 1914, Schedule IV. (4), the septennial average will be taken as the average operating on 1st January, 1913, or as the average operating at some later date; and, if as at a later date, what date will be applicable?
Mr. HARMSWORTHBy Schedule IV. the value of the tithe rent-charge will be based on the septennial average in force at the date of disestablishment.
§ 31. Mr. KINGasked the Prime Minister whether he has noted the varying interpretations, given officially, of the effect of Schedue IV. of The Welsh Church Act, 1914, in calculating the value of the existing interest of the holder of an ecclesiastical office affected by the said Act; and whether he can state on behalf of the Government upon what principle the calculation of the value of life interest will proceed?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. McKenna)The Prime Minister has asked me to answer this question. I assume my hon. Friend refers to a question which he put to me on the 15th of March and which was misinterpreted by the Welsh Chuch Commissioners. The first answer I gave to this question was based on this misinterpretation and was inaccurate. I qualified my answer on the same day. The Act provides that the interests to be commuted shall be the interests as on the 1st of January, 1913, but that the value of tithe shall be taken to be the value on the date of disestablishment.