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Standards of food handling have improved enormously during recent years, and the
increased sale of wrapped food has reduced contamination by dust and dirt, although it sometimes
prevents the discovery of deterioration caused by bad storage.
Nevertheless, a high standard is not always maintained in food premises, and whilst
some of the larger stores have a training programme for their assistants, it often happens that
in a small shop an assistant learns only by experience - perhaps at the expense of the customer.
The food inspectors' primary responsibility in this field is in advising and educating
those responsible for handling food, and it is only when there has been obvious neglect or wilful
disregard of the law that prosecutions are instituted. In spite of this, no less than 115 summonses
were served for contravention of the Regulations, and fines amounting to £723 were imposed together
with £83 in costs. Details are given in table 10 in the Appendix.
Although the public complain fairly frequently about food which they have bought and
which is found to be unfit or to contain foreign bodies, very few complaints are received concerning
unhygienic practices in the handling of food. The most that people seem prepared to do is to take
their custom elsewhere. It is, therefore, particularly pleasing that the Hampstead Consumer Group
took an interest in this matter and carried out a survey of food shops in the Hampstead area. Their
members filled in a comprehensive questionnaire concerning all aspects of food handling which
could be seen by the customer and a very interesting report was published in the Group's journal
"Focus"
Details of registered premises are given in the Appendix, table 12, and in table 13,
details of unsound food surrendered and destroyed during 1965.
CLEAN AIR ACT, 1956
SMOKE CONTROL AREAS
Two Smoke Control Areas, shown on the map, became operative during 1965 and cover
562 acres.
In the southern part of the Borough. 1 October 1965, marked the operative date of the
St. Pancras No. 6. Smoke Control Order and was significant in that it linked the southern and
northern Smoke Control Areas.
The Order covers an area of 367 acres, embracing most of the main line stations which
are now comparatively smoke free due to the diesel and electrification programme carried out by
British Railways.
The main problem industrially was the satisfactory operation of the boiler plants in
Euston House and the Central Electricity Generating Board Station in Royal College Street; in
addition, the changeover in a large office block where the individual offices were using 230 tons
of coal per annum in openable slow combustion stoves to the use of an approved solid smokeless
fuel. The boiler plants have complied with the Order by the installation of two oil-fired burners
in each of the premises.
The area contained approximately 1,600 dwellings in which fire-places needed conversion
or adaptation.
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