5(1)Notwithstanding anything in Part III of this Act, a local authority may, for a period of six months from the appointed day or such longer period not exceeding twelve months therefrom as the Minister of Health may allow, exercise otherwise than in accordance with a scheme under the said Part III any functions conferred on them by the said Part III or which could be conferred an them by a scheme thereunder:
Provided that the local authority shall not exercise any function under the said Part III otherwise than in accordance with a scheme thereunder after a scheme relating to the exercise of that function has come into force.
(2)The references in subsection (6) of section twenty-nine of this Act to arrangements made by virtue of paragraph (c) or paragraph (d) of subsection (4) of that section, and to arrangements made under that section, shall be construed as including references to arrangements made under the corresponding provisions of the Blind Persons Acts, 1920 and 1938.