Local Government Act 1929

63 Provision of hospital accommodation for infectious disease.

(1) For the purpose of securing the provision in every county of suitable means for the proper isolation and treatment of persons suffering from infectious disease, the council of the county shall, as soon as may be after the commencement of this Act, make a survey of the hospital accommodation for the treatment of infectious disease provided by the council and by the councils of any districts wholly or partly within the county.

(2) Upon the completion of the survey, the county council shall prepare, in consultation with the councils of all such districts and if necessary with the council of any county borough adjoining the county, and submit to the Minister for his approval, a scheme for the provision of adequate hospital accommodation for the treatment of infectious disease within the county.

(3) The scheme may provide—

(a) for the arrangements under which and the terms upon which accommodation in any existing hospital belonging to the council of a district shall be made available for the use of the inhabitants of the county other than those resident in the district;

(b) for the provision by the county council or by the council of any district of new accommodation for the treatment of infectious disease;

(c) for embodying arrangements made between the county council or the council of any district and the council of any adjoining county borough for the reception of persons residing in the county borough into hospitals provided by the county council or district council, and for the reception of persons residing within the county into hospitals provided by the council of the county borough.

(4) 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 representations with respect to the scheme which may be submitted to him by any council affected, may approve the scheme with or without modifications.

(5) If a county council fail to submit to the Minister a scheme under this section within six months after being required by the Minister to do so, the Minister may, after consulting the county council and the councils of all such districts, himself make a scheme for the purpose, and any scheme so made shall have effect as if it were a scheme submitted by the county council and approved by the Minister.

(6) In any case in which the Minister is satisfied that the council of a district have failed to provide accommodation in accordance with a scheme under this section, or have otherwise failed to discharge their functions under the scheme, the Minister, after giving to the council of the district and the county council an opportunity of being heard, may, if he thinks fit, by order, transfer to the county council the functions of the council of the district under the scheme, and the order may, for the purpose of enabling the county council to give effect thereto, apply, with such modifications and adaptations, if any, as appear necessary or expedient, any of the provisions of this Act relating to the transfer, superannuation and compensation of officers and any of the provisions of section sixty-three of the Local Government Act, 1894.

(7) For the purposes of this section—

(a) references to councils of districts shall be construed as including references to combinations of such councils; and

(b) the expression “infectious disease ” shall not include tuberculosis or venereal disease.