Written question asked by Howard Stoate (Labour) on Thursday, 17 June 1999, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 1 July 1999. It was answered by Ross Cranston (Labour) on Thursday, 1 July 1999 on behalf of the Solicitor General.

Solicitor-General

Question: To ask Mr Attorney General, If he will make a statement on his responsibilities in relation to charities. (Failed OPQ).

Answer: Dr. Stoate: To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on his responsibilities in relation to charities. [87912] The Solicitor-General: The Attorney-General's responsibilities in relation to charities are historic and wide-ranging. The Attorney-General's function is to represent the Crown as parens patriae and so to act as protector, both of charity in general and of particular charities. It falls to the Attorney-General to institute legal proceedings to protect a charity and to represent the charitable interest. The Attorney-General is a necessary party to any litigation in which the objects of a charity need to be separately represented, for example, where the interest of the Trustees do not coincide with the objects of the charity. In addition, the Attorney-General has the power to authorise ex gratia payments from charitable funds on moral grounds where such payments might otherwise amount to breaches of trust and he has power, by derogation from the Sovereign, to give directions under the Sign Manual as to the re-distribution of uncertain charitable gifts under wills.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 87912; 334 c248W
Session: 1998-99
Question not reached: Yes
Subjects: Administration of justice Charities Civil proceedings Ex gratia payments