A

BILL

ΤΟ

Amend the Blind Persons Act, 1920.

E it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, 5 as follows:

A.D. 1926.

1.-(1) Every blind person who has attained the Maintenage of twenty-one and who is unable to obtain employ- ance of ment in any workshop or other place provided and unemployed maintained by the local authority in whose area he blind 10 resides as enacted under section two of the Blind Persons persons. Act, 1920, shall, so long as he continues to be unemployed, be entitled to receive a sum of twenty-seven shillings and sixpence per week, which sum shall be payable out of and charged upon the funds of such 15 local authority.

(2) The provisions of subsection one hereof shall apply to every blind person between the age of sixteen and twenty-one, except that such persons shall receive the sum of fifteen shillings per week.

20 2.-(1) Subsection (1) of section two of the Amendment Blind Persons Act, 1920, shall be amended to read as follows:

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"It shall be the duty of every council of every county and every county borough, which duty may be carried out in combination with. any other council or councils, to make arrange

of section 2 of Blind Persons Aot, 1920.

A.D. 1926.

ments to the satisfaction of the Minister of Health
for promoting the welfare of blind persons,
ordinarily resident within the area, and such
council shall for this purpose provide and maintain
workshops, hostels, homes or other places for 5
the reception of blind persons within the area
and, with the approval of the Minister of Health,
do such things as may appear to them to be
desirable for the purpose aforesaid, and the
council shall, within twelve months of the passing 10
of this Act, prepare and submit to the Minister
of Health a scheme for the exercise of their powers
under this section :

"Provided that in any scheme prepared
and submitted to the Minister of Health as 15
aforesaid provision shall be made for the payment
to every blind person employed under such a
scheme of a rate of remuneration not less than
the average standard rate received by an able-
bodied unskilled labourer in the employ of the 20
local authority in the district in which the workshop
is situate:

"Provided also that under any such scheme prepared and submitted to the Minister of Health as aforesaid, an apprentice between the age of 25 sixteen and twenty-one shall not be entitled to any remuneration under the above provision, but in lieu thereof shall receive for maintenance purposes an allowance not less than fifty per cent. of such rate of remuneration."

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(2) The Minister of Health shall from time to time inquire into the operation of such schemes of employment prepared and submitted to him under subsection (1) hereof, and shall have power to require any amendments thereto which he considers necessary to further the 35 welfare of such blind persons as aforesaid.

(3) The Minister of Health in exercising his powers under subsection (2) hereof may require any such local authority to provide instruction, training or employment in any handicraft, trade or calling which he may 40 specify.

(4) Piece work shall not be worked in any workshop, hostel, home or other place for the reception of blind persons established under the provisions of this Act.

Transfer of

asylum.

3. For the purposes of section two hereof any A.D. 1926. asylum or other place for the reception of blind persons situate in the area of any local authority may, by agreement with the managers and subscribers thereof, 5 be transferred to and vested in such local authority, who shall manage and maintain such asylum for the purposes aforesaid.

4. Nothing in this Act shall operate so as to disqualify any blind person receiving maintenance under 10 section one hereof for the receipt of a pension or allowance under the provisions of the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925.

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pensions payable

Not to affect
under the
Orphans' and
tributory

Widows'

Old Age Con-
Pensions Act,
1925.

5. The expression "local authority means the Definitions. council of any county or county borough.

means any person

The expression "blind person who is so blind as to be unable to perform any work for which eyesight is essential.

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The expression asylum includes the lands, buildings, workshops, and the machinery, plant, ap20 pliances, furniture, furnishings, materials and stocks therein, heritable properties and fittings, furniture and furnishings therein, investments and funds held and administered by the managers, and all other properties of every description held and administered by the managers or in which they have any rights or interests.

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6. This Act may be cited as the Blind Persons Short title.. Act, 1926, and this Act and the Blind Persons Act, 1920, may be cited together as the Blind Persons Acts, 1920 to 1926.