§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make the Scottish Charities Office report on the affairs of the Algrade Trust available for inspection by legal representatives of the families of residents formerly at the Humbie home. [14938]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: I refer the hon. Member to the Adjournment debate on 3 February 1997 before the Scottish Grand Committee, Official Report, Scottish Grand Committee, 3 February 1997, columns 41–50. It is not the practice of the Crown Office to make public reports on confidential inquiries into charities for the reasons set out in that speech.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what payments have been made by the Algrade Trust to Lothian regional council or the East Lothian council for repairs, redecoration and furnishing at Wedderburn house at Inveresk. [14940]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: This information is not known to the Charities Office and was not necessary for the purposes of the investigation. It is a matter for the present trustees.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the plans of the Algrade Trust for the application of its £1.2 million accumulated profit. [14942]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThese funds are already being used to fund the facilities at Wedderburn. The detailed application of funds is a matter for the present trustees.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the properties bequeathed to the Algrade Trust, or to one or more individual trustees of that body, by residents or relatives of residents who were at the Humbie home. [14937]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: I am advised by my noble Friend the Lord Advocate that there are no known heritable properties which have been bequeathed to the Algrade Trust or to one or more individual trustees of that body by residents or relatives of residents who were at the Humbie home.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what payments have been made by the Algrade Trust to the Church of Scotland board of social responsibility for the care of residents at and from the Humbie home in 1995 and 1996. [14939]
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§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThis information is not known to the Charities Office and was not necessary for the purposes of the investigation. It is a matter for the present trustees.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what profits were generated by the Algrade Trust in each year between 1969 and 1995. [14941]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe accumulated surplus income over expenditure is £1.2 million, as explained in my speech at the Adjournment debate. The further information sought is not readily available and cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost. The information comes within the confidentiality of the investigation.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the instances of maladministration at the Algrade Trust which have been identified by the Scottish Charities Office. [14926]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe accounts were not up to the standard required by the supervision legislation. There was an inability on the part of the trustees to cope with management responsibilities owing to their advancing years. The trustees had the benefit of remuneration from the trust. There was a reluctance over many years to work with the supervisory social work department.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what provision has been made by the Algrade Trust for residents from the Humbie home following their transfer to the care of the Church of Scotland board of social responsibility. [14927]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe responsibility for the residents remains with the Algrade Trust and not with the Church of Scotland board of social responsibility, which acts as the agent of the Algrade Trust in the day-to-day management of the premises and is paid for its services.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the charitable works and responsibilities undertaken by the Algrade Trust since the beginning of 1996. [14928]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe charitable works and responsibilities of the trust remain as they have always been. That is principally the provision of care for residents.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown of the staffing costs of the Algrade Trust of £2.2 million from 1969 to 1995 to show the number of staff and the expenditure in each year expressed in total and per resident. [14929]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe information comes within the confidentiality of the investigation. The information is not readily available and cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown of the food and household costs of the Algrade Trust of £0.8 million between 1969 and 1995 to show the expenditure each year expressed in total and per resident. [14930]
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§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe information comes within the confidentiality of the investigation. The information is not readily available and cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown of the property maintenance costs of the Algrade Trust of £0.86 million between 1969 and 1995 to show the expenditure in each year expressed in total and per resident. [14931]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe information is not readily available and cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost. The information comes within the confidentiality of the investigation.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown of the transport and administration costs of the Algrade Trust of £1.2 million between 1969 and 1995 to show the expenditure each year expressed in total and per resident. [14932]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe information comes within the confidentiality of the investigation. The information is not readily available and cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown of the spending of the Algrade Trust of £0.24 million on pocket money for residents between 1969 and 1995 to show the expenditure in each year expressed in total and per resident. [14933]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe information is not readily available and cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost. The information comes within the confidentiality of the investigation.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the 14 properties acquired by the former Algrade trustees, giving(a) the dates of acquisition and purchase prices, (b) where relevant, the dates of disposal and sale price, and (c) the valuation in 1996 of those still owned by the trust. [14934]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThere were 13 properties purchased by the trustees. A further property, the Good Templar hall, known as the Gospel hall, was a gift. The value of these properties in 1996 is not known. So far as the 14 properties referred to in the Adjournment debate are concerned, the dates of acquisitions and purchase prices and the dates of disposal and sale are set out in the following schedule:
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Date of property Date of acquisition Price Sale Price 1. 9 Upper Keith Cottage, Humbie 18 May 1979 £18,000 Not applicable Not applicable 2. 1–2 Cockburn Square, Pathhead 28 October 1983 £36,000 2 June 1990 £36,000 3. Browseat (Maranatha), Humbie 2 December 1983 £46,000 Not applicable Not applicable 4. Good Templar Hall, Pathhead (known as The Gospel Hall) 20 April 1984 No consideration 16 June 1990 No consideration 5. Algrade school 21 September 1988 £300,000 Not applicable Not applicable 6. 10 Upper Keith Cottage, Humbie Constructed by Algrade Trust Not applicable 21 July 1989 Not applicable 7. 11 Upper Keith Cottage, Humbie Constructed by Algrade Trust Not applicable 21 July 1989 £26,000 8. 29 Oxenfoord Drive, Pathhead 4 June 1990 £99,500 Not applicable Not applicable 9. 44 Main Street, Pathhead 10 December 1992 £67,162 Not applicable Not applicable 10. 46 Main Street, Pathhead 10 December 1992 £67,162 Not applicable Not applicable 11. 34 Main Street, Pathhead 16 March 1993 £17,500 1993—No disposition followed conclusion of missives, although the price was paid £17,500 12. 1 Chapel Close, Pathhead 12 October 1994 £110,000 Not applicable Not applicable 13. 40 Main Street, Pathhead 25 November 1994 £69,500 Not applicable Not applicable 14. 42 Main Street, Pathhead 25 November 1994 £69,500 Not applicable Not applicable
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on property transactions between the Algrade Trust and trustees of that body, showing the date of conveyance and the price received or paid for each property. [14935]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonIn the first five undernoted transactions, the trust transferred the properties to the trustees. In the final case, the property was acquired by the trust by way of gift:
Property Date Price £ 10 Upper Keith Cottage, Humbie 21 July 1989 26,000 11 Upper Keith Cottage, Humbie 21 July 1989 26,000 1/2 Cockburn Square, Pathhead 2 June 1990 36,000 34 Main Street, Pathhead 19931 £17,500 — The Good Templar Hall, Pathhead 16 June 1990 No consideration Copsewood, Shore Road, Tighnabruaich 30 October 1974 No consideration 1 No disposition followed conclusion of missives although the price was paid.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the value of the property of the Algrade Trust at the former Humbie home; what conditions affecting the sale of that property are included in its title deeds; and if the trust has plans to sell it. [14936]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe current value of the property is not known. The sale of the property is a matter for the trustees. The exact conditions attached to sales are not readily available and cannot be ascertained except at disproportionate cost. They are contained within the title deeds of the property which are publicly available at the Registers of Scotland.