(1)Every welfare authority shall appoint a maternity and child welfare committee, which may, if the authority think fit, be a committee of the authority appointed for other purposes, or a sub-committee of such a committee.
(2)All matters relating to the discharge of the functions of the authority under this Part of this Act except the power of levying, or issuing a precept for, a rate, or of borrowing money, shall stand referred to the maternity and child welfare committee, and the authority, before exercising any such powers, shall, unless in their opinion the matter in question is urgent, receive and consider the report of the committee with respect to that matter.
(3)The authority may also delegate to the maternity and child welfare committee, with or without restrictions or conditions, any of their functions under this Part of this Act, but the committee shall not have any power of levying, or issuing a precept for, a rate, or of borrowing money.
(4)The authority may appoint as members of the maternity and child welfare committee persons who are not members of the authority, but are specially qualified by training or experience in subjects relating to health and maternity, so, however, that two-thirds at least of the members of the committee shall be members of the authority:
Provided that, where the duties of a maternity and child welfare committee are discharged by a committee appointed for other purposes or by a sub-committee of such a committee, any members appointed under this subsection who are not members of the authority shall act only in connection with matters relating to the functions of the authority under this Part of this Act.
(5)Two members, at least, of the maternity and child welfare committee shall be women.