Catalogue description Ministry of National Insurance and successors: National Insurance Local Advisory Committees, Registered Files (LAC Series)

Section 42 of the National Insurance Act 1946 made provision for the establishment of local advisory committees; such committees were constituted throughout Great Britain by the National Insurance (Local Advisory Committees) Regulations 1948. The chairman and members, representing both employers and insured persons, were appointed by the minister and each committee was reconstituted at three yearly intervals.

The duties of the committees were to consider and advise the minister on questions bearing on the administration of the National Insurance Acts and to bring to his notice any special problems arising from local conditions. In addition, from 1951 onwards, the committees gave the minister advice on the selection of those appointed to panels from which local tribunals constituted under s. 43 of the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act 1946 were drawn.

Following the establishment of the Ministry of Social Security in 1966, the 224 committees were amalgamated with the 74 National Assistance Board local advisory committees and the number reduced to 141. They were abolished by s. 9 of the Social Security Act 1971.