§ Mr. T. Smithasked the hon. Member for West Swansea, as representing the Charity Commissioners, whether he is aware that the Commissioners propose to establish a new trustee scheme for the charity lands and unknown donor's dole at Nether Poppleton, Yorkshire, with a body consisting of three representative trustees appointed by the parish council and two co-optative trustees; that the four existing trustees are to be appointed as the first co-optative trustees for seven years, thus giving them a majority vote for that period despite the permanent constitution of the body; that one of these co-optative trustees has from time to time received benefit from the charity; that two trustees appointed under existing powers by the parish council in April, 1938, have been refused access to the accounts by the existing trustees; and whether he will take steps to ensure that the existing trustees concerned shall not be members of the new body, and that the permanent constitution of the new body shall apply from the outset?
§ Mr. Lewis JonesThe Charity Commissioners are proposing to establish a scheme on the lines stated by the hon. Member for Normanton and instructions for the publication of the scheme in the parish of Nether Poppleton are about to be given. The four existing trustees who have held office since their appointment at a parish meeting in the year 1918 are proposed, having regard to their lengthy service to be retained as the first co-optative trustees and to be entitled to hold office for a term of seven years. The appointment of trustees purported to have been made by the parish council in April, 1938, would appear to be of doubtful validity. If the name of the existing trustee who is alleged to have received benefit from the charities, and particulars of the benefits received, are supplied, the matter will be investigated.