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61
National Assistance Acts, 1948 and 1951—Section 47.
Authority for proceedings under Section 47 of the National Assistance Act,
1948, was obtained during the year from the Public Health Committee in 32 cases.
"The following provisions of this section shall have effect for the purposes
of securing the necessary care and attention for persons who—
(a) are suffering from grave chronic disease or, being aged, infirm or physically
incapacitated, are living in insanitary conditions, and
(b) are unable to devote to themselves, and are not receiving from other
persons, proper care and attention.
the court may, if satisfied on oral evidence of the allegations in the certificate,
and that it is expedient so to do, order the removal of the person to whom the
application relates, by such officer of the appropriate authority as may be specified
in the order, to a suitable hospital or other place in, or within convenient distance
of, the area of the appropriate authority, and his detention and maintenance
therein:
Provided that the court shall not order the removal of a person to any
premises, unless either the person managing the premises has been heard in the
proceedings or seven clear days' notice has been given to him of the intended
application and of the time and place at which it is proposed to be made."

In addition, one further case was taken to Court with Committee approval
obtained the previous year, and in two instances it was found expedient to invoke
the procedure for the removal of persons to suitable premises without delay (and
without giving interested parties seven days' notice) in accordance with the
provisions of the National Assistance (Amendment) Act, 1951.
"An order under subsection (3) of section forty-seven of the Rational
Assistance Act, 1948, for the removal of any such person as is mentioned in
subsection (1) of that section may be made without the notice required by
subsection (7) of that section if it is certified by the medical officer of health and
another registered medical practitioner that in their opinion it is necessary in the
interests of that person to remove him without delay."
From the foregoing it will be observed that statutory powers were instituted
in 20 instances, and I give details of these in the following statement which has
been compiled in the form required by the Ministry of Health:—