§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland, further to the answer to the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Official Report, 12 June, column 402, and the answer to the hon. Member for Suffolk, South (Mr. Yeo) Official Report, 27 March, column 140, how the system of registration of Scottish-based educational endowments, war charities and charities for the disabled operates; what is the cost of this registration system; and if the registers are open to the public.
§ Mr. AncramUnder the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 a register of educational endowments, which is open to public inspection, is maintained by the Scottish Education Department on behalf of the Secretary of State. The estimated cost of maintaining the register is of the order of £2,500 per annum.
Under the War Charities Act 1940 a war charity, if not exempt, is registered by the local authority for the area in which the administrative centre of the charity is situated. The activities of such charities are subject to the War Charities (Scotland) Regulations 1940, which provide that registers shall be open for inspection free of charge at all reasonable times. The National Assistance Act 194:3 extended the provisions of the 1940 Act to charities for disabled persons and regulations made under the 1948 Act extended the 1940 regulations to these charities. Information about the current operation and cost of the registration system is not collected centrally.