This Act may be cited as the Physical Welfare and Recreation Act, 1937.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

There is hereby established a Council, to be called the National Council of Physical Welfare and Recreation.

The Council shall consist of—

The members of the Council, other than the Minister and officers in the service of the Government, shall be paid all travelling-expenses reasonably incurred by them in respect of their attendance at meetings of the Council or their travelling with the authority of the Minister on the business of the Council, and may also be paid such further allowances (if any) as may be lawfully appointed in that behalf.

Meetings of the Council shall be held at such times and places as the Minister appoints for that purpose.

The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Council at which he is present; if at any meeting of the Council the Chairman is not present the Deputy Chairman, if present, or, if he is not present, the Director-General of Health, if present, or, if he is not present, the Director of Education, shall be the Chairman; in the absence of all four from any meeting the members present shall select one of their number to be the Chairman for the purposes of that meeting.

At any meeting of the Council five members shall form a quorum.

Every question before the Council shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the members present at the meeting of the Council.

The Chairman at any meeting of the Council shall have a deliberative vote, and in the case of an equality of votes shall also have a casting vote.

In the absence from any meeting of the Council of any member being an officer of any Government Department, he may authorize any other officer of his Department to act in his stead, and, subject to the provisions of subsection two hereof, such last-mentioned officer, while so acting, shall for the purposes of this Act have all the powers of the member for whom he is acting.

Save as expressly provided in this Act or in regulations thereunder, the Council may regulate in such manner as it thinks fit the procedure of itself and any committee appointed by it under the next succeeding section.

The Council may from time to time appoint such committees as it thinks fit to assist it in the discharge of its functions under this Act, and may appoint as members of any such committee, or authorize any such committee to co-opt as members thereof, persons who are not members of the Council.

The Council may at any time and from time to time discharge, alter, continue, or reconstitute any committee or discharge any member of a committee, and, if it thinks fit, appoint another member in his stead.

The Council may relegate to any such committee any matters for consideration or inquiry, or management, or regulation; and may with the approval of the Minister delegate to any such committee any of the powers and duties by this Act conferred upon the Council.

The general function of the Council shall be to advise the Government on matters relating to the maintenance and improvement of the physical well-being of the people by means of physical training, exercise, sport, and recreation, and social activities related thereto, and from time to time to make such investigations and inquiries as it deems necessary, or as the Minister directs it to make for that purpose.

The Council shall from time to time, and within such time in any case as the Minister directs,—

The Minister may from time to time, by writing under his hand, declare any area to be a district for the purposes of this Act, and may in like manner from time to time alter the boundaries of any such district or at any time abolish the same.

For every such district there shall be a District Committee, consisting of such number of persons as the Minister appoints to hold office during his pleasure.

The functions of every such Committee shall be within its district—

It shall be the duty of every District Committee forthwith to carry out any direction duly given to it by the Council.

Every District Committee shall have the same powers with respect to committees as are conferred on the Council by section seven of this Act.

The Minister may from time to time, out of moneys appropriated by Parliament for the purpose and in accordance with such regulations (if any) as may be made in that behalf under this Act, make grants—

In making any grant under the last preceding subsection the Minister may attach thereto such conditions as he thinks fit, including, in the case of a grant to a voluntary organization, conditions for securing the continuity of the undertaking assisted.

Every local authority, whether or not authorized in that behalf by any other Act, shall have power to expend moneys for any of the purposes of this Act; and the provision by it, either alone or in conjunction with any other local authority, of facilities, equipment, and centres for physical training, exercise, sport, recreation of the inhabitants of its district, and social activities related thereto, shall be deemed to be a public work within the meaning of the Public Works Act, 1928.

Any local authority may itself manage any such facilities, equipment, and centres, either with or without a charge for the use thereof or admission thereto, or may let them, or any portion thereof, to any voluntary organization at a nominal or other rent, and on such other terms and conditions as it thinks fit.

A local authority exercising the powers conferred by this section may provide, and where necessary arrange, for the training of such skilled persons as it deems necessary for securing that effective use is made of facilities, equipment, and centres so provided.

The authority to expend moneys conferred by this section shall extend to enable any local authority to make grants to any voluntary organization providing or maintaining within its district any such facilities, equipment, or centres.

Any local authority within the meaning of the Local Bodies’ Loans Act, 1926, may, by special order and without taking the steps prescribed by sections nine to thirteen of that Act, but subject to the provisions of the Local Government Loans Board Act, 1926, raise a special loan for any public work referred to in subsection one of the last preceding section. Any other local authority within the meaning of this Act may, subject to the provisions of the Local Government Loans Board Act, 1926, borrow moneys for the purposes of any such public work as aforesaid.

For the purpose of better enabling the Council to fulfil its functions the Governor-General may from time to time appoint any person or persons, whether members of the Council or not, as a Commission under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1908, to inquire into any matter in respect of which the Council has any power, jurisdiction, authority, or duty.

There may from time to time be appointed as officers of the Public Service a Physical Welfare Adviser and such other officers as may from time to time be considered necessary for the purposes of this Act.

All expenses incurred in respect of the administration of this Act shall be paid out of moneys to be from time to time appropriated by Parliament for the purpose.

Within three months after the close of each financial year the Council shall prepare a report as to the operations of the Council for the year.

A copy of the report shall, within fourteen days after the receipt thereof by the Minister, be laid before Parliament if Parliament is then in session, and if not, then within fourteen days after the commencement of the next ensuing session, together with a statement by the Minister of all grants made by him during the year pursuant to section eleven of this Act.

The Governor-General may from time to time, by Order in Council, make such regulations as may in his opinion be necessary for giving full effect to the intent and purposes of this Act.

All such regulations shall be laid before both Houses of Parliament within fourteen days after the making thereof if Parliament is then in session, and if not, then within fourteen days after the commencement of the next ensuing session.