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23
CHAPTER III.
Ninth Report of the London County Council to the Board of Control.
(This chapter contains the report in respect of the year ended 31st December, 1926,
which the Council is required to make by No. 28 of the Mental Deficiency Act
Provisional Regulations, 1914.)
Administrative arrangements.
1. The Council's administrative arrangements for the discharge of its duties
under the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, through the Mental Hospitals Committee,
remain as described in previous reports (see Annual Reports for 1915-19, Vol. II.,
p. 29, and 1920, Vol. II., p. 17).
Committee
and SubCommittees.
2. During 1926, meetings of the Mental Hospitals Committee and of subcommittees
wholly concerned with work under the Mental Deficiency Act have been
as follows :—Committee, 12 ; managing sub-committees of certified institutions
for the mentally defective, 59 ; other sub-committees and Cases Section, 28.
Meetings.
Staff.
3. Administrative and executive work continues to be divided between the
Mental Hospitals Department and the Public Health Department, in accordance
with the scheme detailed in the first annual report (see Annual Report for 1914,
vol. II., p. 280). The comptroller of the Council collects contributions towards
the Council's expenses of maintaining defectives in institutions (and in some instances
towards the Board of Control's expenses of maintaining defectives in a State institution)
and the solicitor, in certain cases, takes steps to enforce payment of arrears.
(For particulars as to collection of contributions, see pars. 68 and 69.)
Departmental
arrangements.
4. On 31st'December, 1926, the staff authorised for employment in the Mental
Hospitals Department entirely upon work connected with the administration of
the Mental Deficiency Act was:—1 senior assistant; 2 assistants, first class ; 4
assistants, second class; 5 assistants, general grade ; 2 enquiry officers (nonpensionable).
In the Public Health Department at the same date the staff
engaged entirely for work under the Act was 3 women inspectors.
Staff
employed for
central
administration.
Ascertainment.
5. The Council's duty to ascertain what persons in London are defectives
within the meaning of the Act and are subject to be dealt with under the Act has
been discharged as fully as possible.
6. During the year, following certain representations made by the Board of
Control, opportunity was taken to review the methods which the Council employs
in respect of the ascertainment of defectives in London, and the conclusion was
formed that the existing machinery for ascertainment (which is referred to in some
detail on pp.31 and 32 of Vol. II. of the Council's Annual Report for 1915-1919), and
the manner in which it was being employed were adequate to secure that ascertainment
in London was being carried out as fully and as accurately as it was reasonable
to expect.
Machinery
for ascertainment.
7. Restrictions imposed by the Board of Control whereby, of the cases ascertained,
none but those deemed to be "urgent" as defined by the Board of Control
should be dealt with in institutions, are still in force.
Urgent cases.