§ Mr. KINGasked the President of the Board of Education if he will say on what date the Board decided that the trustees of the charities of Ewell, Surrey, might spend their funds in providing a Church school; on whose request was this decision given; did the trustees as a body ask for a decision on the point; does the Board's decision give legal authority to a single trustee or a section of trustees to disburse funds when they act without the knowledge of the other trustees; has the Board received from the statutory parish meeting unanimous requests that the Board will protect the parish charities from secret appropriation to such purposes; can he give the names of the existing trustees; what is the nature of the deed or scheme
52Wunder which they are appointed; how long is it since they had a meeting; are there any representative or popularly elected trustees; have they ever been summoned to a meeting; have the Board ever consulted them as to the bona fides or the desirability of any suggestions submitted to the Board in the name of the trustees; has the Board power to restrain any novel disbursements of the funds until authorised or approved by a properly constituted meeting of the trustees; and will he take action of the two trustees of the Ewell interests will be safeguarded against the action of the two trustees of the Ewell charities, who have conducted negotiations with the Board of Education without the knowledge and against the wishes of the other trustees?
Mr. PEASEThe Board informed the trustees of the charities in question of the extent to which their funds might be applied in providing a church school on
1st June, 1911. The request was made by the clerk to the trustees. I have no reason to suppose that it was not made on behalf of the trustees as a body. Neither a single trustee nor a section of the trustees have power to disburse the funds of a charity without the authority of the majority of the trustees present at a duly constituted meeting. The Board have not received from the parish meeting any request of the nature suggested by the hon. Member. I do not know the names of all the existing trustees. Brumfield's Educational Foundation is regulated by a scheme of 5th September, 1882; Calverley's Foundation by a declaration of trust dated 14th August, 1860; and White's Foundation by chancery scheme of 23rd December, 1871. Each of the parish councils of Ewell and Kings- 53W wood is empowered to appoint three additional trustees of Brumfield's and White's Foundations by Orders made under Section 14 (3) of the Local Government Act, 1894. I do not know when the last meeting of the trustees was held, or whether the representative trustees have been summoned to meetings. The Board have not specially consulted the representative trustees. The Courts alone have power to prevent any improper application of the funds of charities. I am not aware that any individual trustees of the charity have acted in the manner suggested in the last part of the hon. Member's question.