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23
In accordance with the policy of the Ministry, the method
of pre-baiting and poisoning with Zinc Phosphide, Arsenious
Oxide or an Anti-Coagulant, has been discontinued in favour of
Fluoracetamide. The effect of this change will not be
appreciated until 1964, when a pre-bait can be carried out.
ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION
CLEAN AIR ACT 1956.
In the report under this heading for last year reference
was made to the intention that the Council's programme on Smoke
Control areas should be accelerated. The planned increase in
staff was not effected, but with Mr, J.A. Woodman, one of the
original Survey Assistants, undertaking more direct responsibility
it did seem that progress would be quicker. Area No. 5
was made, confirmed by the Minister and became effective on 1st
October. By November Area No. 6 was secured and confirmed
for operation on 1st July, 1964, and the surveys of Areas 7 and
8, carried out simultaneously, were all but complete by late
Autumn,
However early in the year it became known that a "limited
Circular" from the Ministry had been issued to local authorities
in North and North West England intimating that previously
anticipated supplies of "open fire coke" would not be forthcoming,
and advising basic changes in the principles and
practice of securing Smoke Control Orders. In May, answering
a question in the House, the Minister of Housing and Local
Government stated that supplies of graded coke suitable for use
on open fires could no longer be expected to increase. Indeed
the long term prospect must be a lower output, so that a national
Clean Air policy could no longer be based on such fuel. It is
to the credit of the Minister, and indeed of the Government,
that it was not left to local authorities to comb Hansard for
this information, but it was immediately published and
circularised.
On the face of it it might seem remarkable that such a long
term and expensive programme should have been planned on the
basis of persuading householders to change over to, and indeed
to convert their fires to burn a fuel which apparently, quite
suddenly, was seen to be in diminishing supply. The President
of the National Society for Clean Air would not normally be out
of touch in this context, and in October, 1962, Lord Cohen of
Birkenhead, in that capacity, addressed the National Clean Air
Conference on the availability of open fire coke, the reliance