CIRCULAR OF MINISTRY OF HEALTH. TRAINING OF MIDWIVES. Ministry of Health, Whitehall, S.W.1. 30th September, 1919. Sir,-1. I am directed by the Minister of Health to draw the attention of the Local Supervising Authorities under the Midwives Acts and of Local Authorities responsible for Maternity and Child Welfare Schemes to the enclosed copy of Regulations made by the Board of Education for the training of midwives, and for a grant in aid of such training. 2. It will be seen from the Regulations and from the Prefatory Memorandum preceding them that grants for training will be paid by the Board to recognised Institutions only, in respect of approved courses at those Institutions, and will be at a rate not exceeding £20 for each student who has declared her bona fide intention to practise as a midwife, or has been for not less than three years in full time employment as a Health Visitor or has completed successfully a course of training approved under the Regulations for the training of Health Visitors. 3. Grants at a rate not exceeding £6 will also be made in respect of extensions of the normal six months' course by a period of practical training of not less than a month. Similar grants will also be payable for special courses for practising midwives lasting from two to six weeks, held at recognised residential Institutions. 4. With certain exceptions named below, this new system of substantial grants from the Board of Education for the training of midwives will take the place of any Exchequer grants from the Ministry of Health under Maternity and Child Welfare Schemes or otherwise in respect of midwifery scholarships or other expenditure on contributions to the training of intending or practising midwives. It is hoped that the new grants to training institutions will relieve local education authorities and local supervising authorities of much of the expenditure which it would otherwise be necessary for them to incur in order to ensure a sufficient supply of well-trained midwives in their areas. Pending the development of further training facilities under the new Regulations of the Board of Education, the Ministry of Health will be willing, for the present year and possibly the following year, to pay grants under the Maternity and Child Welfare Regulations in respect of lectures provided by County Supervising Authorities for midwives already in practice in the area. 5. Apart from the question of provision for the training of midwives, the Ministry of Health will continue, until further notice, the grants in aid of the provision of midwifery services in any area (including the provision of substitutes while a midwife of a district is absent attending a training course) as hitherto made by the Local Government Board in accordance with their Circular of 9th August, 1918, under the Maternity and Child Welfare Regulations. The comprehensive and systematic provision of midwifery services is still gravely inadequate in nearly all areas. The remuneration usually obtainable by practising midwives is seriously deficient, regarded as a reliable annual income, and is not commensurate with the responsible nature of the duties and the technical qualifications and skill required; nor does it attract and maintain an adequate supply of thoroughly competent women to meet the real needs of the community. It must be realised that so long as the efficient practice of midwifery fails to afford a proper livelihood, not even the best of Regulations or the most substantial grants in aid of training can secure the establishment of a satisfactory system of midwifery services. 6. In view of the urgent importance of this matter in the interests of the health of the nation, the Ministry would urge on all local authorities carrying out Maternity and Child Welfare Schemes the importance of securing, by means of adequate subsidies to competent midwives or otherwise, a complete service of properly paid and well-trained midwives for the area; it is to be remembered that half of the approved local net expenditure on this provision may be reimbursed by grants from the Ministry of Health. Local Authorities who are not Supervising Authorities under the Midwives Acts should consult with the Supervising Authorities of their area as to the best means of making adequate provision, and the Ministry will gladly receive from every local authority conducting Maternity and Child Welfare Schemes any observations they care to offer as to the inadequacy of the present midwifery services of their district, howsoever provided, and any suggestions as to the steps which seem to be needed for improving, supplementing, and eventually completing that service. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, To the Clerk to the Local Authority. ROBERT L. MORANT, Secretary. CIRCULAR OF MINISTRY OF HEALTH. ADMINISTRATION OF PART I. OF CHILDREN ACT, 1908. Ministry of Health, Whitehall, S.W.1, 30th September, 1919. Sir,-1. I am directed by the Minister of Health to state for the information of the Guardians that an Order in Council has been made in pursuance of Sections 3 (1) (f) and 11 (1) of the Ministry of Health Act, 1919, transferring to the Minister of Health as from 1st October, 1919, such powers of supervising the administration of Part I. of the Children Act, 1908, as have heretofore been exercised by the Secretary of State for the Home Department. From the 1st proximo, therefore, all communications with reference to Part I. of the Children Act which would otherwise have been addressed to the Home Office should be addressed to the Ministry of Health. 2. The Minister would be glad to receive a brief statement as to the administration of the Act in each Union, showing the names and qualifications of the Infant Protection Visitors appointed under Section 2 (2) of the Children Act, the approximate number of children in the Union as to whom notices have been received under Section 1 of the Act and who are still under inspection, and an indication of the extent of the supervision exercised by the Visitors. 3. As the Guardians are aware, county councils and local sanitary authorities in the exercise of their powers under the Maternity and Child Welfare Act, 1918, have appointed staffs of Health Visitors whose duties are to supervise the children born in their district until they reach the age of five years. It appears to the Minister to be desirable that this work should be co-ordinated as far as practicable with the supervision of children under the Children Act, and he would be glad if the Guardians would confer with the local authorities undertaking the Maternity and Child Welfare work in their district with a view to the appointment, where practicable, of the same woman as Health Visitor and Infant Protection Visitor. Such a combined appointment would save duplication of inspection and economise time and travelling. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, ROBERT L. MORANT, Secretary. To the Clerk to the Guardians. CIRCULAR OF MINISTRY OF HEALTH. HOUSING ACTS, 1890/1919. Ministry of Health, Whitehall, S.W.1, 11th October, 1919. Sir, I am directed by the Minister of Health to forward to you— 1. Copies of new Rules as to appeals made to the Minister under the Housing Acts. 2. Copies of an Order prescribing forms in connection with entry. into houses for inspection, repair of houses, closing orders, and demolition orders. It is no longer necessary to serve a closing order or a demolition order itself on an owner. The new Order prescribes a form of notice, which includes a copy of the relative closing order or demolition order. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, I. G. GIBBON, Assistant Secretary. To the Clerk to the County Council, Town Clerk, Clerk to the Urban or Rural District Council. ORDER OF MINISTRY OF HEALTH. THE HOUSING ACTS (FORM OF ORDERS AND NOTICES) ORDER, 1919, DATED THE 10TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 1919, MADE BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH UNDER SECTION 41 OF THE HOUSING, TOWN PLANNING, ETC., ACT, 1909, PRESCRIBING FORMS OF CERTAIN NOTICES AND OTHER DOCUMENTS. THE Minister of Health, under the powers conferred on him by Section 41 of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, and by all other powers enabling him in that behalf hereby makes the following Order : ARTICLE I. This Order may be cited as "The Housing Acts (Form of Orders and Notices) Order, 1919. ARTICLE II.-The Forms set out in the Schedule hereto, or forms substantially to the like effect, shall be the forms to be used in connection with the powers and duties of a Local Authority under the Housing Acts, 1890 to 1919, in all cases to which those forms are applicable. ARTICLE III.-The Order of the Local Government Board dated the 11th day of January, 1910 (S. R. and O. No. 2, 1910), is hereby revoked except in so far as it prescribed a form or forms for use under Section 15 of the Housing. Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909. SCHEDULE. FORM NO. 1.-Form of notice by person authorised by the local authority or Minister of Health before entry for the purpose of survey and examination, or valuation. under Section 36 of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909. FORM NO. 2.-Form of notice requiring owner to execute works in applies. FORM NO. 3.-Form of notice declaring intention of owner to close for human habitation a house, to which Section 28 of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1919, applies. FORM NO. 4. FORM NO. FORM NO. FORM NO. FORM NO Form of order declaring expenses incurred by the 5.-Form of Closing Order. 7.-Form of Notice of Appeal against a Closing Order. Operative. FORM NO. 9.-Form of Order Determining Closing Order. FORM NO. II.-Form of Notice of Appeal against Refusal of Local FORM NO. 13.-Form of Order for Demolition of a Dwelling house. FORM NO. 14.-Form of Notice of Order for Demolition of a Dwelling-house. FORM NO. 15.-Form of Notice of Appeal against a Demolition Order. FORM NO. 16.—Form of Order for Demolition of Building being, or being part of a Dwelling-house, the continuance of which is a nuisance or dangerous or injurious to the health of the Public or of the inhabitants of the neighbouring Dwelling-houses. FORM NO. 17.—Form of Notice of Order for Demolition of Building being, or being part of a Dwelling-house, the continuance of which is a nuisance or dangerous or injurious to the health of the Public or of the inhabitants of the neighbouring Dwelling-houses. FORM NO. 18.-Form of Notice of Appeal against an Order for the Demolition of Building being, or being part of a |