69. Mr. WILSONasked the Minister of Agriculture how much tithe rentcharge which was annually in collection when tithe rentcharge was first instituted has been redeemed up to the present time; how much of this is ecclesiastical tithe rentcharge; and what is the capital sum now controlled by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners or Queen Anne's Bounty in respect of redeemed ecclesiastical tithe?
§ Mr. ELLIOTAs the reply contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
Following is the answer:
The total amount of tithe rentcharge extinguished by redemption or merger in accordance with the Tithe Acts up to the end of 1935 was £777.838 18s. 4¾d. I regret that information is not available to divide this total figure between ecclesiastical and other tithe rentcharge. As regards the last part of the question, I am informed that the tithe redemption moneys held by Queen Anne's Bounty consist of
So far as concerns the control of these sums, I am informed that the stocks and money are held in trust for the particular benefices and ecclesiastical corporations. As regards the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, I regret that similar information is not available as the income of the commissioners is statutorily directed to be carried to a single common fund and the proceeds of redemptions of tithe rent-charge received by them have not been carried to any separate account which could be analysed.
- (a) £1,777,473 14s. 4d. money standing to the credit of benefices in the Governors' books and invested on their corporate account; and
561 - (b) £4,896,753 10s. 7d. stock held for benefices and ecclesiastical corporations. The present market value of the stock is 4,953,877 14s. 6d.