Appeal from decision of Midwives Board.—A woman thinking herself aggrieved by a decision of the Board removing her name from the roll of midwives may appeal therefrom to the High Court of Justice within three months after the notification to her of the decision; but no further appeal is possible. Fees and _Expenses. -T here will be payable by every woman presenting herself for examination or certificate such fee as the Board may determine, with the approval of the Privy Council. But the fee must not exceed the sum of one guinea. All such fees paid by midwives in practice at the passing of the Act and by candidates for examinations must be paid to the Board. The Board must devote these fees to the payment of expenses connected with the examination and certificate, and to its own general expenses. And it must, as soon as practicable after the 31st day of December in each year, publish a financial statement made up to that date and showing the receipts and expenditure, including its liabilities, during the year. This statement is required to be certified as correct by either a Chartered or an Incorporated Accountant. The Board must submit a copy of the statement to the Privy Council, and if the statement shows a balance against the Board and the balance is approved by the Privy Council, the Board may apportion it between the councils of the several counties and county boroughs, in proportion to the number of midwives who have given notice during the year of their intention to practise in those areas respec tively, and may recover from the councils the sum so apportioned. Midwives' roll.—There will also be a roll of midwives. This roll will contain the names of those midwives who have been certified under the Act, and in each entry will indicate the conditions in virtue of which the certificate was granted. Appointment of secretary and supplemental provisions as to certificate.—The Board, with the previous sanction of the Privy Council, has appointed a secretary and other necessary officers. The secretary has the custody of the roll. A copy of the roll, purporting to be printed by the authority of the Board, is evidence in all courts that the women therein specified are certified under the Act. The absence of a woman's name from that copy is evidence, until the contrary is proved, that she is not certified. But in the case of a woman w hose name does not appear in the copy, a certificate, under the hand of the secretary, of the entry of her name on the roll is evidence that she is duly certified.
Loral supervision if inklwire.Y.—Every council of a county or county borough throughout England and Wales is a local supervising authority over midwives within the area of the county or county borough. The duty of a local supervising authority is—To exercise general supervision over all midwives practising within its area in accordance with the rules to be laid down under the Act. To investigate charges of malpractice, negligence, or misconduct on the part of any midwife practising m Rhin its area ; and should a prinui facie case be established, to report it to the Board. To suspend any midwife from practice in accordance with the rules under the Act, if such suspension appears necessary in order to prevent the spread of infection. To report at once to the Board the name of any midwife practising in its area convicted of an offence. During the month of January
of each year to supply the secretary of the Board with the names and addresses of all midwives who, during the preceding year, have notified their intention to practise within its area, and to keep a current copy of the roll of midwives accessible at all reasonable times for public inspection. To report at once to the Board the death of any midwife or any change in the mine or address of any midwife in its area, so that the necessary alteration may be made in the roll. To give due notice of the effect of the Act, so far as practicable, to persons at present using the title of midwife. A local supervising authority may delegate, with or without any restrictions or con ditions as they may think fit, any powers or duties conferred or imposed upon them by or in pursuance of the Act to a committee appointed by them and consisting either wholly or partly of members of the council ; women are eligible to serve on such a committee. Delegation of powers to district councils.—A county council may delegate, with or without any restrictions or conditions as they may think fit, any powers or duties conferred or im posed upon them by or in pursuance of the Act to any district council within its area ; and the powers and duties so delegated may be exercised by a committee appointed by the district council and consisting either wholly or partly of members of the district council ; and women are eligible to serve on such a committee. Any expenses incurred by a district council in the execution of any powers or duties so delegated, to an amount not exceeding such sum as may be prescribed by the county council, will be repaid to it as a debt by the county council ; and any excess above the sum so prescribed must be borne by the district council as part of their ordinary expenses. These provisions apply to the administrative County of London in like manner as if each metropolitan borough were a county district and the borough council were the district council of that district. .1Votification 91 practice.—Every certified midwife, before holding herself out as practising or commencing to practise in any area, must give notice in writing of her intention so to do to the local supervising authority or to the body to whom, for the time being, the power and duties of the local supervising authority have been delegated. She must also give a like notice in January every year thereafter during which she continues to practise in the area. The notice must be given to the local supervising authority of the area within which the woman usually resides or carries on her practice. A like notice must also be given to every other local supervising authority or delegated body within whose area she at any time practises or acts as a midwife, within forty-eight hours at the latest after she commences so to practise or act. Every such notice must contain all particulars required by the rules to secure the identification of the person giving it ; and if any woman omits to give the notices, or any of them, or knowingly or wilfully makes or causes or pro cures any other person to make any false statenient in such a notice, then, on summary conviction, she will be liable to a fine not exceeding .1.)5.