| Description | Minute volumes indexed. The minutes are printed and signed by the committee chairman. Minute book BCC/1/BV/1/1/1 comprises a black volume entitled 'Notification of Births (Extension) Act, 1915 Minute Book 1'. Minute books BCC/1/BV/1/1/2 onwards are in uniformly titled minute volumes. The committee minute volumes also contain the minutes of the appropriately dated sub-committees. The minutes for the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee start again in November 1929 (BCC/1/BV/1/1/7). The minute volumes include the annual committee reports, which give a detailed breakdown of business; reports of the Public Health and Housing Committee, some of whose functions overlapped the welfare functions of this committee; tenders, estimates and building reports (with associated costs) relating to the construction and maintenance of maternity and child welfare centres and other buildings; information relating to health and welfare provisions in place that related to children (i.e. cleanliness of milk supply); information relating to the registration and supervision of midwives; statistics and other information relating to infant illness and mortality; some information relating to the work of the Guardians of the Poor of Birmingham as it affected child welfare; lists of departmental staff (particularly health visitors) and salaries; some information relating to staff discipline; some information relating to the supply and equipment of maternity and child welfare centres and other buildings; accounts and statements of estimated and actual departmental income and expenditure; and related correspondence and papers. The minutes of 19 January 1919 include an extremely detailed report on the provision of midwife services in Birmingham at the time, with proposals and estimated costs to improve baby and childcare facilities in the city (see minutes 379 - 380 in BCC/1/BV/1/1/1). The minutes of 4 July 1919 include a copy of a draft scheme for a Midwifery Service and Maternity Nursing Service submitted by the Maternity and Child Welfare Sub-Committee (see minute 440 in BCC/1/BV/1/1/1). The minutes of 15 November 1929 include copies of a report of the General Purposes Committee presented to Council on 30 July 1929 regarding the transfer of Poor Law functions to the Council (see minute 3 in BCC/1/BV/1/1/7) and an administrative scheme prepared in accordance with Section 4 of the Local Government Act, 1929, and modified and approved by the Ministry of Health on 17 October 1929 (see minute 4 in BCC/1/BV/1/1/7). |