The Mental Deficiency Act, 1913 : together with the regulations and rules made under the provisions of that Act, the departmental circulars, the Elementary (Defectice and Epileptic Children) Acts, 1899 and 1914, and, introduction and annotations / by R.A. Leach.
- Date:
- 1914
Licence: In copyright
Credit: The Mental Deficiency Act, 1913 : together with the regulations and rules made under the provisions of that Act, the departmental circulars, the Elementary (Defectice and Epileptic Children) Acts, 1899 and 1914, and, introduction and annotations / by R.A. Leach. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![and at least one of the paid and one of the unpaid Commissioners shall be a woman. (2) The Commissioners shall he appointed by His Majesty on the recommendation, as respects the legal Commissioners, of the Lord Chancellor, and, as respects the other Commissioners, of the Secretary of Slate; and in making such recommendation regard shall be had to the desirability of the inclusion amongst the Commissioners of persons specially qualified to hold inquiries amongst Welsh-speaking persons. (3) The Secretary of State shall appoint one of the Commis- sioners to be chairman. (4) The Board of Control so constituted shall be a body cor- porate by the name of “ the Board of Control,” with a common proposed by the Royal Commission on the care and control of the Feeble- minded are set out in V. and VI. of their Recommendations, which read as follows :— Recommendation V.—That the Central Authority, which would deal with the whole class of mentally defective persons and the division of that class, be called “ The Board of Control,” and the members thereof be called Commissioners of the Board of Control. Recommendation VI.—That there be appointed to the post of Com- missioner, according to the demands of the business of the Board of Control, persons who are specially qualified for that post, subject to these qualifications : (1) that a certain proportion of the number be qualified medical men who have expert knowledge in regard to the various classes of mental defect mentioned in Recommendation IV., and respecting institutional and other administration; (2) that a certain proportion of the num.ber be legal members, being barristers-at-law qualified to deal with particular cases and points of law. including such questions as may arise out of the new’ conditions which the plan pro- posed by us must necessarily entail; (3) that the number of Commis- sioners be sufficiently large to dispense w’ith the necessity of appointing deputy Commissioners in case of temporary absence through illness or other cause; (4) that the Commissioners be appointed at such salaries as with the concurrence of the Treasui’y may seem reasonable in view of the scale of salaries generally paid in Government departments ; (5) that a paid chairman be appointed on similar terms, due regard being had to the responsibilities of his office; (6) that sections 158 (1) and the first paragraph of section 165 of the Lunacy Act of 1890 be repealed provided that it be made a rule of the Board that no Commissioner should be deputed to visit a licensed place with which he has been con- nected within one year last preceding his appointment. Section 158 (1) and the first paragraph of section 165 of the Lunacy Act, 1890, mentioned in Recommendation VI., contains disqualifications for appointment as Lunacy Commissioner. Secretary, or Clerk of the Com- missioners, or as Chancery Visitor, of anyone w'ho within the period of one year under section 158 (1), and tw’o years under the first paragraph of section 165 (Chancery Visitorl, has been interested in any licensed house-— i.e., private asylum. The dis(]iialification under the present measure is contained in section 24. Not wore tlinii fftee.Ti.—The Home Secretary, in the House of Commons on July 29tb, 1913, pledged himself that no more than 11 of the 12 paid Commissioners would be appointed during his term of office. Of the 11](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29010172_0054.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
