National Assistance Act 1948

64 Interpretation.

(1) In this Act, except where the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the meanings hereby assigned to them respectively, that is to say:—

• " blind person " means a person so blind as to be unable to perform any work for which eyesight is essential;

• " child " means a person under the age of sixteen;

• " dependant " has the meaning assigned to it by section seven of this Act;

• " disability " includes mental as well as physical disability;

• " disabled persons' or old persons' home " has the meaning assigned to it by section thirty-seven of this Act;

• " existing poor law " means the enactments specified in Part I of the Seventh Schedule to this Act or, as respects Scotland, such of those enactments as apply to Scotland together with the enactments specified in Part II of that Schedule;

• " functions " includes powers and duties;

• " hospital " has the meaning assigned to it by section seventy-nine of the National Health Service Act, 1946, or as respects Scotland by section eighty of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act, 1947;

• " large burgh " has the same meaning as in the [10 & 11 Geo. 6. c. 43.] Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1947;

• " local authority ", save as provided in Part III of this Act, means the council of a county, county borough county district or metropolitan borough or the Common Council of the City of London;

• " place of employment " has the same meaning as in section thirteen of the National Insurance Act, 1946;

• " prescribed " means prescribed by regulations under this Act;

• " requirements " does not include any medical, surgical, optical, aural or dental requirements;

• " trade dispute " has the same meaning as in section thirteen of the National Insurance Act, 1946;

• " voluntary organisation " means a body the activities of which are carried on otherwise than for profit, but does not include any public or local authority.

(2) References in this Act to any enactment shall, except where the context otherwise requires, be construed as references to that enactment as amended by or under any enactment, including this Act.

(3) For the purposes of this Act, a person shall be deemed, according to the law in England and Wales as well as according to the law in Scotland, not to have attained the age of sixteen years until the commencement of the sixteenth anniversary of the day of his birth.