NATIONAL LIBRARY (SCOTLAND). (Hansard, 1 March 1938)

§ Lieut.-Colonel Colville
Mr. Keppie, a retired book-seller of Dalkeith, which happens to be in my constituency, very generously made a bequest of the residue of his estate to be shared equally by the National Library of Scotland and the National Gallery of Scotland. The share of the National Library is £2,956. No conditions were attached to the bequest. Under Section 10 of the National Library of Scotland Act, 1925, which established the library, all moneys received by the Board of Trustees from any other source than moneys provided by Parliament, and not subject to any specific direction or condition (as in this case) have to be applied as Appropriations-in-Aid of the moneys provided by Parliament. The Trustees of the Library, not unnaturally, represented to us that they wished to hold this bequest as a permanent endowment, and to preserve its identity, and the Treasury agreed to this course. The only legal method of achieving this object was to credit it as an appropriation in aid of the Vote, and to vote an equivalent sum as a grant in aid. This is a rather unusual procedure, but is necessary for the purpose of putting the matter in order. We recognise that the desire of the Trustees to preserve this bequest under its name is a proper one, and so we have felt it necessary to adopt the procedure I have indicated.
Sub-head C (Incidental Expenses) relates to another bequest of a very valuable 1049 collection of rare editions, numbering about 1,500 volumes, belonging to the late Mr. Hugh Sharp, of Hill of Tarvit, Fife. This gentleman was unfortunately killed in the dreadful railway accident at Castlecary, and his representatives presented to the National Library this very valuable collection. It was a very generous gift indeed, and I should like to take this opportunity of paying tribute to their generosity. A condition was attached—quite a proper condition—that the volumes should be immediately removed and housed in the Library. To cover these removal charges it is estimated that an additional £50 will suffice. As we have budgeted very closely on this sub-head, we had not enough money to meet this extra charge.

§ Mr. Pethick-Lawrence
I think the Financial Secretary's explanation is on the whole entirely satisfactory, but I should like to ask what was the approximate value of the bequest in the second case, on which this sum of £50 was expended. That will enable us to judge whether the sum was out of proportion or not.

§ Lieut.-Colonel Colville
I am not in a position to give the exact figure, but it runs into a number of thousands of pounds for the 1,500 volumes. I would rather not give a figure without having accurate information before me, but I am satisfied that the removal costs were quite proper.

§ Mr. Benson
Do I understand that the Keppie bequest fund will be invested and kept as a separate fund?

§ Lieut.-Colonel Colville
Yes.

§ Mr. Benson
In that case. I assume that the interest will appear in future as an Appropriation-in-Aid.

§ Lieut.-Colonel Colville
I should have to look into that point. I think the intention is that the Library should benefit from the bequest and the interest accruing from the fund, but I should have to look into it.