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much fatty foods of a certain type and lack of exercise. We all know
that women smoke less and are less prone to over eating, and it seems
to me too that housework keeps them in perpetual physical exercise.
In this connection I appeal to all parents to do all they can to
discourage their children from acquiring the smoking habit.
Atmospheric Pollution. This Council is very anxious to play its part
in establishing clean and wholesome air over London and towards the
end of the year they made their first Smoke Control Order, covering
some 171 acres of the Borough, which is due to become operative from
the 1st December, 1960. They also submitted to the Minister of
Housing and Local Government a phased programme to make the whole of
the Borough a smokeless zone by 1965 This is a measure which is of
major importance today and now that legislation is provided we should
advance with all possible speed - as indeed Bethnal Green does
towards cleaning our air, which will result in unmeasureable benefit
to the health, wellbeing and happiness of the people.
Housing. The slum clearance programme of 1955-60 is nearing completion
and we shall soom commence with the next 5 year programme which will
virtually abolish slums in Bethnal Green although it may be that small
numbers of unfit houses will still be found here and there after 1965.
Inspection and Supervision of Food. The work of food hygiene is
handicapped by the shortage of Public Health Inspectors. With three
short in establishment the frequency of inspections of the 800 food
premises, plus street stalls selling food, has necessarily been
inadequate. To achieve a high standard of food hygiene very frequent
visits have to be made and, as it were, continuous contact maintained
between the Public Health Department and the food establishments to
secure a steady gradual improvement. However, I am looking forward
to the time when we shall be able to work with a full establishment
and increase such visits to a satisfactory level. The standard of
hygiene has improved considerably since the war and we have been
helped in this by the people of Bethnal Green who are prepared to
complain about unhygienic practices or, which is perhaps more
important, will go shopping in food estaboishments where the standards
of hygiene are superior.
Dr. G.O. Mitchell, the L.C.C. Divisional Medical Officer