GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE/WEIGHTS AND MEASURES COMMITTEE/WEIGHTS AND MEASURES, OLD AGE PENSIONS AND SHOPS ACTS COMMITTEE/WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AND SHOPS ACTS COMMITTEE/WEIGHTS AND MEASURES COMMITTEE

The Committee exercised the Council's responsibilities as a supervising authority under the Midwives Act, 1902 (2 Edw. VII c. 17) whereby a County Inspector of Midwives was appointed and a register of midwives kept. The Committee was constituted a statutory Public Health and Housing Committee under the Housing, Town Planning, etc. Act, 1909 (9 Edw. VII c. 44) which made compulsory the appointment of a County Medical Officer although the County Council's responsibilities for the main parts of the Act - housing, planning and public health - remained limited, most powers being conferred on district authorities. These responsibilities were transferred in November 1916 to a separate Public Health and Housing Committee (see CC1/18). The Committee was constituted a statutory County Pension Committee under the Old Age Pensions Act, 1908 (8 Edw. VII c. 40) which introduced the first national pension scheme for people aged 70 and over. Local pension committees were appointed by councils of boroughs, urban districts (+20000 pop) and counties to adjudicate on claims. The Committee inherited the functions of the Local Government Act Committee in March 1919 (see CC1/11). In April 1931 it was re-named the Weights and Measures Committee when a number of functions were transferred to the Selection, Old Age Pensions and General Purposes Committee (see CC1/22) and the Local Government, Parliamentary and Town Planning Committee (see CC1/21). Responsibility for Old Age Pensions was returned to the Committee after the termination of the Selection, Old Age Pensions and General Purposes Committee in 1934. Responsibility for Old Age Pensions was transferred to a central government agency, the National Assistance Board, under the National Assistance Act, 1948 (11 & 12 Geo. VI c. 29)