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London County Council.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNCIL, 1926.
CHAPTER I.
During the year ended 31st March, 1927, the position, powers and duties of the
Council in regard to the care of the mentally afflicted have not been altered. A full
list of these powers and duties will be found in Vol. I. of the Annual Report for
1926, pp. 29 and 30.
CHAPTER II.
Report of the Mental Hospitals Committee to the London County Council.
1. This report, for the year ended 31st March, 1927, is the tenth annual report
of the Committee to which, under section 35 of the London County Council (General
Powers) Act, 1915, stand referred all matters relating to the exercise by the Council
of the powers of a visiting committee under the Lunacy Acts. It is the thirtyfifth
annual report upon the administration of the London County Mental
Hospitals.*
Scope of the
report.
2. During the period covered by this report meetings have been held as
follows:—Mental Hospitals Committee. 12; visiting sub-committees of mental
hospitals (ordinarily fortnightly, one meeting being held to transact general business
and the next to discharge patients and to make statutory inspections), 242; other
sub-committees (dealing with matters arising from the Council's administration of
the Lunacy Acts), 48.
Meetings.
3. On our representation the Council has secured the insertion in its General
Powers Act, 1926, of a provision that after the triennial election of members of the
Council the Mental Hospitals Committee and their sub-committees shall continue
in office until the first meeting of the new Mental Hospitals Committee.
Committee
and subcommittees—
Period of
office.
4. We have to record with regret the death on 13th November, 1926, of
Mr. A. E. Smith, J.P., who had been a co-opted member of the Mental Hospitals
Committee since March, 1925. The service which Mr. Smith was able to render
during the period of his membership was of great value and was appreciated highly
by his colleagues.
Death of a
member of
committee.
Accommodation.
5. On 1st January, 1927, the accommodation at the London County mental
hospitals, according to the requirements of the Board of Control as to bed space,
was:—
Accommodation.
*It should be observed that a few of the matters dealt with in this chapter, e.g., under the
section relating to superannuation acts, have an application wider than the mental hospital
service and concern also the service under the Mental Deficiency Act, which, strictly, is matter
for the following Chapter III.