Poor Relief - Law Commission

5. The workhouse in Buxton built in, or just after 1801, pursuant to the union in
that year of the three parishes may well have been an enlargement of a workhouse
built there before 1800. In 1836 the Buxton Union was subsumed by the formation of
the Aylsham Poor Law Union. In 1849 the Aylsham Union replaced other workhouses
in the area, including that at Buxton.
6. The 1806 Act has long been obsolete. It dates back to an age when relief for
the poor, and the money to pay for this, was organised on a parish basis. As
indicated in the accompanying background note, the system of parish-run poor relief
was abolished by the Local Government Act 1929. The poor law system was itself
finally abolished by the National Assistance Act 1948. The finance for providing the
income and other support previously provided by the parish is today drawn either
from funds provided by central government or raised by local government from local
taxation.
7. Accordingly the 1806 Act is obsolete and may now be repealed on that basis.
Extent
8. The provisions proposed for repeal had no effect outside Norfolk.
Consultation
9. HM Treasury, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the
Department for Work and Pensions, Norfolk County Council and the Local
Government Association have been consulted about these repeal proposals.
(32-195-455) LAW/005/018/06
July 2009
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