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45
It will be noted that none of the outworkers are employed in food.
Outworking in food ceased to be legal in July, 1956 as a result of the
Food Hygiene Regulations, 1955.
The inspectors made 289 visits during the year which included
some to places in which no work was being done at the time of the
visit, although the outworkers were prepared to restart work when
required. Reports were submitted to the Council setting out the
position with regard to outworkers in the borough. No adverse
comments were made.
Rag Flock and Other Filling Materials Act, 1951
This Act came into force on November 1, 1951, and repealed the
Rag Flock Acts, 1911 and 1928 and section 136 of the Public Health
(London) Act, 1936. The Act is designed to secure the use of clean
filling materials in upholstered articles and other articles which are
stuffed or lined.
It is an offence, subject to certain provisos, to use filling materials
to which the Act applies for upholstery purposes except on premises
registered by a local authority, and rag flock for filling can only be
manufactured and stored on licensed premises. The local authority
is required to maintain a register of premises used for upholstery and of
premises used for the manufacture and storage of rag flock and to
maintain a list of licences in respect of premises used for the storage
of rag flock. Various penalties are prescribed for noncompliance with
the provisions of the Act.
Standards of cleanliness are laid down in the Rag Flock and Other
Filling Materials Regulations, 1951 in relation to each kind of filling
material described in the regulations, and tests are prescribed which
have to be carried out by approved analysts.
Four premises are registered for the use of filling materials for
upholstery purposes. Samples of these materials proved satisfactory on
examination.
Destruction of pigeons
Section 121 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, enables a
local authority to take steps for the purpose of abating or mitigating
any nuisance, annoyance or damage caused or which might be caused
by the congregation of pigeons which are as far as can be ascertained
without an owner. The local authority is enabled to seize and destroy,
or sell or otherwise dispose of any such pigeons in excess of such
number as may be considered reasonable.
The difficulties of dealing with the problem remain and little of
value can be added to previous reports although several young birds
and eggs were destroyed from colonies found under railway bridges
and on the Town Hall roof.
Exhumations
It is the practice for a sanitary inspector to be in attendance at an
exhumation, but no such attendance was made in 1956.