Poor Relief - Law Commission

5. The house of industry built at Melton under the 1764 Act was closed in 1826
and its contents auctioned off. In 1829 the building became the Suffolk County
Asylum for Pauper Lunatics. In 1916 the asylum became St Audrey’s Hospital.
Today the buildings have been converted to residential accommodation.
6. The 1826 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 Accordingly the 1826 Act is obsolete and may now be repealed on that basis.
Extent
8. The provisions proposed for repeal had no effect outside Suffolk.
Consultation
9. HM Treasury, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the
Department for Work and Pensions, Suffolk County Council and the Local
Government Association have been consulted about these repeal proposals.
(32-195-455) LAW/005/018/06
July 2009
142