(1)It shall be the duty of the council of every county (other than the county of London) and of every county borough six months at least before the beginning of each fixed grant period to prepare and submit to the Minister for his approval a scheme for securing the payment by the council of annual contributions towards the expenses of voluntary associations, if any, providing maternity and child welfare services in or for the benefit of the county or county borough.
(2)The scheme shall provide—
(a)for the payment to any such association whose services were immediately before the appointed day approved by the Minister of such annual contribution in respect of those services (not being less than a sum to be determined by the Minister) as may be specified in the scheme ; and
(b)for the payment to any such association in respect of any services not so approved, which are utilised by the council, of such annual contribution as may be specified in the scheme.
(3)The Minister may approve a scheme submitted under this section either with or without modifications, and if any such council fans to prepare and submit to the Minister such a scheme within the time allowed for the purpose, the Minister may himself make a scheme.
(4)A scheme made by the council of a county under the foregoing provisions of this section shall determine whether and to what extent the services provided by any voluntary association are such that contributions thereto should be paid by the council of a district in the county who have established a maternity and child welfare committee under the Maternity fund Child Welfare Act, 1918; and where the scheme provides for such contributions being made by the council of any district, a copy thereof shall be sent to that council by the county council when the scheme is submitted to the Minister and it shall be the duty of the council of the district to prepare and submit to the Minister, within three months after the receipt of the said copy, a scheme for the payment of such contributions by the council; and the foregoing subsections shall, with the necessary adaptations, apply accordingly.
(5)If upon representations made by any voluntary association it appears to the Minister that the association proposes to provide or to extend maternity and child welfare services in or for the benefit of a county or county borough subject to contributions or increased contributions being made to the association under any scheme for the time being in operation under this section, and that it is, therefore, expedient that any such scheme should be altered, the Minister may, after considering the representations in consultation with the council of the county or county borough, so alter the scheme as to provide for such contributions or increased contributions as he considers just, and may also make such consequential alterations, if any, as he considers desirable in any scheme made under this section by the council of any district affected.
(6)As respects the county of London, the Minister shall before the beginning of each fixed grant period, after consultation with the councils concerned, make a scheme determining, in relation to voluntary associations providing maternity and child welfare services, which of those services are to be treated as services in respect of which the London County Council are to contribute and which are services in respect of which the common council of the City of London and the councils of the metropolitan boroughs are to contribute; and the scheme shall provide for the payment during the fixed grant period to the association by the several councils of contributions of such amounts as may be specified in the scheme.