§ Mr. HARDIEasked the Secretary for Scotland whether, in the Bill to come before the House on the question of dealing with the property and endowments of the Church of Scotland, the Government will provide that any assessments on valued or rent heritors at present unpaid or outstanding shall be made irrecoverable as from the date of the introduction of the Bill?
Mr. ADAMSONThe Bill, which was recently introduced in another place by my predecessor, contains provisions designed to terminate the liability of heritors for assessments for churches and manses but these provisions would not have retrospective effect except as regards the building of new churches or manses in which case the provisions would be operative as from 1st January, 1924. The Government have the Bill under their favourable consideration, but I am not in a position to give any undertaking as to legislation on the specific matter referred to by my hon. Friend.