§ Mr. GILBERTasked the hon. Member for Greenock, as representing the Charity Commissioners, if he will state what sums of money were, in the last completed year, paid by the City Parochial Foundation under Schedule VII of the scheme of 1891 made under the City of London Parochial Charities Act, 1883, for the maintenance, of the fabrics and the maintenance of public worship in churches within the City of London; whether public worship is maintained in all such City churches; and with what body it rests to sec that the sums so paid by the City Parochial Foundation are devoted to the purposes set out in the schedule aforesaid?
§ Sir GODFREY COLLINSDuring the year ended 31st December, 1919, payments amounting in the aggregate to £15,139 were made by the Central Governing Body out of the income of the City Church Fund for the maintenance of fabrics and services of churches named in the VII Schedule to the Central Scheme. So far as I have been able to ascertain, public worship was maintained during the same year in all the churches in respect of which such payments were made, with the possible exception of St. Katherine Coleman.
In answer to the last part of the question, the Central Scheme contains no provision imposing any such responsibility upon any body of persons. The minister and churchwardens of any church to whom any payments are made for the purposes mentioned in the 1929W VII Schedule are accountable for the due application of the sums so received in accordance with the general law affecting the administration of charitable trusts. If the attention of the Charity Commissioners is drawn to any alleged diversion they will be prepared to deal with the matter under their statutory powers.