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that in certain circumstances, e.g., desertion or abandonment
of a child, the Ministry may direct that the additional allowance
payable in respect of a child may be paid to the local
authority to be administered for the benefit of the child,
and prescribes a similar procedure in respect of an orphan
pension where the Minister is satisfied that it will be in the
interests of the child for the local authority to administer the
pension. In such cases the local authority may make representations
to the Minister. The local authority for the
County of London under the Act is the London County Council,
but this body was of opinion that this work should be delegated
to the metropolitan borough councils as the authorities
dealing with maternity and child welfare. Any expense incurred
is defrayed as expense under the maternity and child
welfare scheme.
No cases under the provisions of this Act were dealt
with during the year.
CONVALESCENT HOME TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN
UNDER FIVE YEARS OF AGE.
In January, the Council resolved, as from 1st April,
to accept responsibility for any deficit incurred by the
Woolwich Invalid Children's Aid Association in providing
convalescent home treatment for children under five years
of age. The expenditure under this head is limited by the
Minister of Health to £70 per annum. Up to the end of
the year, nineteen children had been sent away under this
scheme and the total deficit was £41 3s. Od. Payment is
only made in respect of children sent to homes approved by
the Medical Officer of Health, and parents' assessments are
made in accordance with a scale which is used by all Invalid
Children's Aid Associations in London.