HL Deb 08 February 1977 vol 379 cc1102-3

6.10 p.m.

Lord WELLS-PESTELL rose to move, That the draft Charities (Hospital and Educational Foundation of Lady Katherine Leveson, Temple Balsall) Order 1976, laid before the House, be approved. The noble Lord said: My Lords, I beg to move that the draft Charities (Hospital and Educational Foundation of Lady Katherine Leveson, Temple Balsall) Order 1976 laid before the House, be approved.

This order brings into effect a scheme by the Charity Commissioners for an Alms-house Charity and a school charity known together as the Hospital and Educational Foundation of Lady Katherine Leveson at Temple Balsall, a village about 10 miles to the South-East of Birmingham. In accordance with the wishes of the founder, the almshouses were built in close proximity to the parish church. Constructed about 300 years ago in red brick, they have a simple beauty and are, I understand, listed buildings.

A few years ago, with the encouragement of the National Association of Almshouses and the assistance of a loan from the former rural district of Meridon, whose responsibilities now rest with the Borough Council of Solihull, they were improved so as to incorporate all modern amenities while preserving the existing facade. There is also a master's house which was rebuilt in the last century. The principal asset of the Educational Foundation is the school, also dating from the last century, built on a site adjacent to the almshouses and now a Church of England voluntary-aided junior and infant school having some 90 pupils.

The scheme with which we are concerned does not differ substantially from many others being made each year by the Charity Commissioners in the exercise of their ordinary jurisdiction. The only difference here is that the subsisting trusts of the charities are comprised not only in a private Act of Parliament of 6th May 1702 but in a Public General Act passed on 28th June 1861. In these circumstances Section 19 of the Charities Act 1960 requires that the order giving effect to the scheme shall be made by the Home Secretary subject to approval by Resolution of each House of Parliament.

The main purposes of the scheme are to update the existing trusts and, for convenience of administration, to embody them for the future in a single instrument. In particular, the scheme dissolves an old incorporated body of governors as being no longer required, reconstitutes the governing body of the charities, extends the eligibility of alms people and the area from which they may be drawn and permits the alms people to be charged, with the approval of the Charity Commissioners, sums by way of contribution towards the cost of maintaining the almshouses. Suitable provision is also made in the scheme for application of the income of the Educational Foundation.

My Lords, these arrangements are broadly such as have been made in other schemes and I do not think that there is anything else to which I need draw your Lordships' attention. It is a very simple scheme. It conforms with all the requirements. Therefore, I commend the order and the scheme to your Lordships for approval.

Moved, That the draft Charities (Hospital and Educational Foundation of Lady Katherine Leveson (Temple Balsall) Order 1976, laid before the House, be approved.—(Lord Wells-Pestell.)

Baroness YOUNG

My Lords, I am sure that we are all grateful for the noble Lord's explanation of this order. It seems to me completely straightforward and there are no further comments I wish to make on it. I thank him for his explanation.

On Question, Motion agreed to.