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38
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, onions and shrimps being temporary
exceptions.
The inspectors made 327 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This Act came into force on November 1, 1951, and repealed the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.
Five premises are registered for the use of filling materials for
upholstery purposes, one of these being also registered for storage.
Samples of these materials proved satisfactory on examination.
Destruction of pigeons
Several visits were paid to railway bridges during the year and
young birds and eggs destroyed. Other complaints were received and
dealt with. The public, which still seems divided on whether pigeons
should be destroyed or encouraged, provided bread and other food for
the birds in different parts of the borough. The pigeons came to feed
regularly during the day but their roosting places were not always easy
to locate. More of the complaints than in previous years referred to
woodpigeons and damage to crops in gardens and allotments was reported.
It is hoped that in the current year arrangements will be made
for a more effective control of the pigeon nuisance.
Exhumations
It is the practice for a public health inspector to be in attendance
at an exhumation, but no such attendance was made in 1960.
Sanitary work generally
Mr. Phillips, the senior public health inspector, reports:
"The number of complaints received during the year was slightly
higher than last year, and this together with an increase in house-tohouse
inspections resulted in more notices being served under the Public
Health (London) Act. There continues to be a steady decline in the
applications for certificates under the Rent Act, 1957. The higher figures
under the heading of "Other Housing Act" visits are principally due to
surveys of houses to be purchased by means of loans from the Council
under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act 1958. Although more
visits were paid to outworkers this is still very seasonal work, many
of the people working only for short periods in the year. More smoke
observations have been carried out in those areas which have already
been dealt with under the Clean Air Act, but it has been found that the
public is responding very well to the requirements of that Act."