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(3) If the district sub-committee agree to the recommendation received from
the local welfare centre, arrangements will be made by the relieving officer for
the supply to be issued by the centre. In cases of sudden or urgent necessity,
the relieving officer will exercise his responsibility under Section 17 of the Poor
Law Act, 1930.
(4) Accounts for the supplies issued by the welfare centre will be forwarded
to the Chief Officer of Public Assistance for payment.
In May the scheme was modified as follows
(1) To extend the scheme to provide that nourishment over and above the
normal diet and necessary on medical grounds may similarly be supplied for
delicate children, attending the metropolitan borough councils' maternity and
child welfare centres, whose parents are in receipt of out-relief.
(2) To modify the scheme by the deletion of the provision that a relieving
officer must consult the district medical officer upon each recommendation as
to extra nourishment received from a maternity and child welfare centre before
the submission of the recommendation to the district sub-committee, on the
clear understanding:—
(a) That the district sub-committees, and (in cases of sudden or urgent
necessity) the relieving officers may consult the appropriate district
medical officer whenever in any case they consider such a course
desirable, and
(b) That the district medical officer shall be consulted in those cases in
which medical relief is being afforded to the family.
In September the Council decided to accept certificates from medical officers in
charge of London County Council ante-natal clinics at hospitals in the cases of
expectant mothers attending such clinics who, though not in receipt of relief, are
nevertheless in such financial circumstances as to be unable to bear the cost of such
nourishment; reserving the right, however, of requiring a certificate from one of
the Council's medical officers whenever such course is considered desirable.
At the end of the year it was estimated that the amount due from the London
County Council in respect of extra nourishment was £353.
Blind Persons Act, 1920.—The Council, at the request of the London County
Council, have arranged that home visiting of blind children under five years of age
should be carried out by the Council's health visitors. Reports are furnished to
the County Council, as the occasion arises, when the home conditions are unsuitable
for blind children or it is advisable that the child should be admitted into a suitable
institution. During the year no new cases came to the knowledge of the department.
Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925.—The
local authority may, in case of desertion of a child who is an orphan, administer the
payments on behalf of the child. No case under the provisions of this Act was
dealt with during the year.