View report page

100
Section 3 of the Act enables the Board by Order to declare the Act to be in
force in the area of any Local Authority which has not so adopted, if they
think this expedient, having regard to the circumstance of the area, and in
that case the order of the Board will have the same effect for the purpose as a
resolution of adoption duly passed by the Local Authority of the area, and
assented to by the Board.
By section 2, sub-section 3, it shall be the duty of any Local Authority by
whom this Act may be adopted as soon as the consent of the Local
Government Board is given to the resolution of adoption, to bring the
provision of this Act to the attention of all Medical Practitioners and
Midwives practising in their area.
In the case of every child born within an area in which the Act is in force,
it will be the duty of the father of the child, if he is actually residing in the
house where the birth takes place at the time of its occurrence, and of any
person in attendance upon the mother at the time of or within six hours of
the birth, to give notice in writing of the birth to the Medical Officer
of Health of the District in which the child is born.
The Act provides for the registi'ation of still births. This is a most
important point, as hitherto there has been no means of obtaining any record
of these.
The notice is to be given by posting a prepaid letter or post card addressed
to the Medical Officer of Health giving the necessary information of the birth
within 36 hours after the birth, or by delivering a written notice of the birth
at the office of the Medical Officer within the same time.
The Local Authority are required to supply, without charge, addressed
stamped post cards containing forms of notice to any Medical Practitioner or
Midwife residing or practising in the area who applies for them.
A person who fails to give the requisite notice of a birth will be liable on
summary conviction to a penalty not exceeding 20s., unless he satisfies the.
Court that he had reasonable grounds to believe that notice had been duly
given by some other person.
The notification is to be in addition to, and not in substitution for, the
requirements of any Act relating to the registration of birth.
In London, the Medical Officer of Health of the City and of every Metropolitan
Borough in which the Act is in force for the time being must send
weekly to the London County Council, in a form prescribed by the Board,
a list of all notices received by him under the Act during the past week.
The Local Government Board consented to the adoption of this Act within
the City of London, and fixed the 19th February, 1908, as the date for the
Act to come into operation.