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Bessborongh Street Centre and that of the Westminster Health Society
at Marsham Street report generally in somewhat similar terms. In
some cases high rent for rooms in tenement houses is a cause of hardship.
In the case of the former the births in the district were 307. while 167
expectant mothers and 241 children under one year of age attended the
Centre during the year. In relation to the 307 births, 6 took place in
Westminster Hospital, while 39 infants were born at home, the confine.
ments being attended by the Westminster Hospital midwife under the
Council's agreement. As regards the Westminster Health Society's district,
of 265 births 36 took place in Westminster Hospital under agreement and
6 at home attended in co-operation with the out-patient department of
the hospital. Infants under one year attending the Centre during the
year numbered 161 ; the total births in the district were 265.
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA.
Water.—With the exception of those premises (previously reported)
which are supplied with water from deep wells, the whole of Westminster
takes its supply from the Metropolitan Water Board.
A deep well has been sunk during the year in connection with the
rebuilding of 3, St. James Square.
Public Swimming Pools, Laundries, &c.—There are three establishments,
situated at Buckingham Palace Road, Great Smith Street, and
Marshall Street.
The numbers using the swimming pools and private baths in 1933
were:—
Great Smith Street: 150,791 men ; 66,254 women.
Buckingham Palace Road : 129,306 men ; 85,078 women.
Marshall Street: 173,100 men ; 126,865 women.
The numbers relating to users of the public laundries were :—
Great Smith Street, 30,796 ; Buckingham Palace Road, 28,589 ; Marshall
Street, 11,355.
Frequent bacteriological examinations of the water in the first- and
second-class swimming pools at the Council's three establishments have
been made throughout the year. The results were reported to the Baths
Committee at their monthly meetings and have shown that the water
in each swimming pool has been maintained at a highly satisfactory
standard of purity by means of the filtration and purification plants.