[Report 1956] / Medical Officer of Health, Cumberland County Council.
- Cumberland County Council
- Date:
- 1956
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1956] / Medical Officer of Health, Cumberland County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.
163/170 page 151
![National Assistance Act 1948 As a departure this year from the usual practice of including, in these yearly supplements, notes on the advancement and day to day administration of indi- vidual sections of the Welfare Services for aged and handicapped persons, and in view of (a) the limitation on capital expenditure which is holding up develop- ments in the erection of new homes and the social and recreational centre in Workington for handicapped persons, and (b) not being able to offer comment on the advantages gained by such improved provisions and services, it seems to me that for this year one might limit comment to matters of general interest with say a full and comprehensive report every second or third year outlining in greater detail and with appropriate contrasts, where possible, by way of individual improvements and advances in the services— section by section. The various services are now so firmly established on well defined lines that there is little change to record from year to year, and such a policy would avoid repetition of features and administrative issues which have been mentioned in a’eports which have been the subject of individual consideration and direc- tion by the County Welfare Sub-Committee. During the year 1956/57 there has been no new legislation as affecting local authority functions under the Act, although it may, be mentioned that the House of Commons have given a second reading to the National Assistance Act 1948 (Amendment) Bill, which is designed to give local authorities powers (not at present possessed by them) to make their own arrange- ments for old people to have meals, domiciliary services and recreational facilities in their own homes. Sec. 31 of the Act of 1948 does empower a local authority to make contributions to the funds of Voluntary Organisa- tions whose activities consist in or include the provision of recreation or meals for old people, and whilst the promoters of the Bill do not suggest that the work of Voluntary Organisations should be in any way ] teju- diced by the proposals, they say there are some areas](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29133129_0165.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
