Poor Relief - Law Commission

(d) power to rectify errors in any rate or assessment; only parish inhabitants
who paid rates could vote at parish vestries; ratepayers competent to give
evidence; legal protection for persons seizing goods; appeals; form of
conviction; civil procedure issues (sections 11 to 19)
(e) costs and status of this Act (sections 20 and 21).
5. The 1816 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.
6. Accordingly the 1816 Act has long been obsolete and may now be repealed on
that basis.
Extent
7. The provisions proposed for repeal had no effect outside the area of Mitcham.
Consultation
8. HM Treasury, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the
Department for Work and Pensions, the London Borough of Merton 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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