Poor Relief - Law Commission

(e) churchwardens and overseers authorised to build a workhouse in the
parish and to acquire the necessary land; churchwardens and overseers
authorised to raise money for the purposes of this Act by borrowing no
more than £3000 and using the rates as security; form and transfer of
mortgages; written record of mortgages; use of moneys raised; power to
re-mortgage at a lower interest rate; power to repay loans (sections 9 to
14)
(f) status of this Act (section 15).
5. In the event, no workhouse appears to have been built pursuant to the 1824
Act. However the overseers of South Lynn/All Saints parish purchased an existing
workhouse in the late 1820s. This workhouse, in Friar Street, was sold off in 1837
after the newly-formed King’s Lynn Poor Law Union enlarged the St James’
workhouse in the parish of St Margaret.
6. The 1824 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 Accordingly the 1824 Act is obsolete and may now be repealed on that basis.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
134