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209
eight-hour day. (A booklet "Noise and the Worker" issued by the
Department of Employment in 1971 gives practical purport to
their findings).
In 1970 a Noise Advisory Council, consisting of a cross section
of expert and lay opinion, was established "to keep under review
the progress made generally in preventing and abating the generation
of noise and to make recommendations to Ministers with
responsibility in this field and to advise on such matters as they
may refer to the Council". Its first Report reviewed the Noise
Abatement Act, 1960, and recommended that it be strengthened.
It emphasized the need for regular consultation between local
planning and health authorities to prevent unnecessary noise and
suggested that the citizen had a duty in this respect. It hinted
that noise from demolition and construction works should be
anticipated so that the local authority could require certain
conditions to be observed to prevent or mitigate nuisance from
noise or vibration. Its main objective was the introduction of a
new Act. Its second Report, also issued in 1971, was concerned
with aircraft noise, the planning of airport operation and expansion
and its "noise" effects upon the neighbourhood. The third
Report, to be published in 1972, will be a study of traffic noise.
An Industrial Health Advisory Sub-Committee, also set up in
1970, prepared a code for reducing the exposure of employed
persons to noise to be published in 1972, and active consideration
to the needs of those whose hearing is already affected by
industrial noise is being given in the light of the appraisal by the
Industrial Injuries Advisory Council of Burns and Robinson's
final Report.
In accordance with this Act, 56 complaints were received and
investigated during the year. In most cases the nuisances were of
a relatively minor nature and were resolved by informal action
on the part of the Public Health Inspectors who carried out a
total of 203 inspections during the year.
Pharmacy and Poisons Act, 1933
During the year the Chief Executive and Town Clerk received
10 applications for entry of name in the Council's List of Persons
entitled to sell Poisons included in Part II of the Poisons List and
129 applications from vendors for retention in the Council's List.
All were duly considered and approved.
Poisons Information Service—Circular 16/63 received from the
Ministry of Health drew attention to a Poisons Information
Service which has been set up at Guys Hospital and which came