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to provide for Harrow, Hendon Rural and Wealdstone by agreement
only, while Willesden would similarly provide for Kingsbury
and Wembley. The latter two authorities, however, preferred
that they should continue the existing arrangement by which
they are provided for by Acton by agreement. Wealdstone
were satisfied with the existing arrangements under which they
were provided for by Harrow by agreement only.
The scheme formulated by the County Council and submitted
to the Minister in August, 1933, followed the lines of the draft
scheme which had such an unfavourable reception by the constituent
local authorities. So far as affects this area, the main
items of the scheme were that for the area consisting of Harrowon-the-Hill
Urban District, Hendon Rural District, Hendon
Borough, Kingsbury Urban District, Wealdstone Urban District,
Wembley Urban District, and Willesden Urban District 462 beds
should be provided (a figure based on one per 1,000 of the total
population of the areas). "Any additional accommodation
rendered necessary by the provisions of the scheme shall be provided
by the Councils of the county districts, for which purpose they shall
as soon as may be initiate action and carry through any proceedings
that may be necessary on their part for forming united
districts, or altering the constitution of existing united districts,
as may be required pursuant to the provisions of Section 279 and
297 of the Public Health Act, 1875, or for combining under Section
131 of the Act, one such united district or combination being
formed for the area." "The hospitals maintained by each of the
authorities shall be available for the reception of persons suffering
from infectious diseases other than smallpox who are inhabitants
of the other county districts of the area; and the hospital shall, in
the event of a Joint Hospital Board being constituted for the
area, be transferred to and become the property of such Board, or,
in the event of a Joint Committee being formed, be held, maintained
and used on such terms and conditions as may be agreed between
the councils of the districts."
The Minister suggested that Harrow Urban District and
Hendon Borough form one area for the purpose of hospital
accommodation for infectious disease, Hendon being the local
authority to provide the accommodation, and to receive into their
hospital patients from Harrow Urban District by agreement.
The minimum number of beds suggested for the combined districts
was 199.
Section 63 (4) of the Local Government Act, 1929, reads "no
scheme submitted to the Minister under this section shall be of
any effect unless and until it is approved by the Minister, and the
Minister, after considering any representation with respect to
the scheme which may be submitted to him by any Council
affected, may approve the scheme with or without modification."
As the new Harrow Council had not had an opportunity of