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for themselves as to the extent to which these services are being
used and appreciated. At the same time I must point out that
much of the clinic work is done in premises which are not entirely
satisfactory for the purpose. Many Metropolitan Boroughs have
recently acquired premises in keeping with the present day conception of what Public Health Clinics should be. I sincerely hope
that the mothers and children of Hampstead will, in like manner,
be provided in due course with more appropriate accommodation.
A further extension of the Maternity and Child Welfare
Service was made during the year. The Borough Council has
now arranged for the District Nursing Association to visit toddlers
in their homes for the treatment of minor ailments, etc.
5. Housing, ctc.
It is pleasing to note that the Kilburn Vale Area, which was
first condemned as long ago as 1903 by the then Medical Officer
of Health for Hampstead, was the subject of an official representation by the London County Council on the 7th of July, 1936. In
conjunction with the officers of the London County Cuncil T prepared detailed evidence for use at the Inquiry, the result of which
will be reported in my Annual Report for 1937.
Throughout the year the Borough has been most carefully
combed with the object of locating land suitable for the erection
of working-class dwellings. It has proved an extremely difficult
task. Apart from park-land, and railway land (of which there
is approximately 50 acres) there is very little unbuilt-on land
left in the Borough. I reported to the Housing Committee that
there was an immediate need for some 300 dwellings in the
Borough, and in April, 1936, the Council decided to take all
practicable steps to provide this need. Two larger sites, which
would have been adequate for the purpose on hand, proved unobtainable as the owners desired to retain them for their own
use. As a consequence there appears to be the prospect of providing only a small quota of the 300 dwellings which the Housing
Committee desired.