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During the year the Government relaxed the conditions
under which building licences could be granted to owners of
private property, and this enabled many to undertake repairs
which have brought about a cleaner and tidier appearance in
the borough generally., The Council are still presented
with frequent complaints about the unsightly appearance of
open bombed sites., Representations have been made to the
Metropolitan Boroughs Standing Joint Committee, and after
lengthy negotiations, the Council have been able to make a
by-law to control to some extent the condition of these
sites. This by-law will come into force in 1949.
BIRTH RATE. The number of Kensington live births in
1948 was 2,908 compared with 3,012 in the previous year.
There was a gradual increase of the birth rate during the
war up to the peak of 18„2 births per 1,000 population in
1946. There has, since then, been a gradual fall, and in
1948 the figure was 17.2
INFANT DEATH RATE. The number of deaths of children
under twelve months for every 1,000 live births reached the
borough's lowest record of 38 in 1948. The previous lowest
record was 41 in 1947. In this connection it is worth
noting that the Council's work in relation to the care of
infants, which commenced officially under the Maternity
and Child Welfare Act, 1918, has been accompanied by a
great reduction of the infant death rate from 102 in 1919
to the present figure of 38.
This enormous decline represents a saving of over 60
infant lives out of every thousand born. This in itself
must give much gratification to members of the Borough
Council who have been taking part in the administration of
the maternity and child welfare services during the last
thirty years; but, for the life of each child saved from
any particular disease„ there must be other children attacked
by that disease who, whilst not dying, were injured or
handicapped throughout life in some way or other. It is this
reduction in invalidity and handicapping which is perhaps
even more gratifying than the reduction in the death rate
itself. It means that many more children are able to lead
healthier and happier lives, less handicapped by defects
arising in infancy.
GENERAL DEATH RATE. The general death rate in 1948
was 10, which is the lowest ever recorded in the borough.
O0O
VITAL STATISTICS
The table set out on the next two pages gives the
important vital statistics for 1948, together with
comparative figures for the previous seven years.