View report page

7
City of Westminster
Public Health Department,
Telephone: TRAfalgar 7070 Alhambra House,
31, Charing Cross Road,
W.C.2.
To the Right Worshipful The Mayor, Aldermen and
Councillors of the City of Westminster.
Mr. Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors,
I have the honour to present for your consideration a report on the
health of the City of Westminster during the year 1960. This is the first
report which I have been privileged to submit to you; and as I did not
take up my duties until 17th June, 1960, it is right that I should acknowledge
that much of the work of the Public Health Department during the
year was carried out under the direction of my predecessor, Dr. J. A.
Struthers, or had been initiated by him before his retirement.
The report follows again this year the general pattern established many
years ago by former Medical Officers of Health of Westminster.
An examination of the vital statistics on page 14 reveals little change
from last year. The population has again declined by almost two
thousand. The Preliminary Report of the 1961 Census reveals that since
1951, in spite of an increase of more than five thousand private dwellings
(5,723 = +23.4 per cent.), the population of Westminster has decreased
by over thirteen thousand persons (13,825 = -14 per cent.). This is,
indeed, the largest decrease of any of the metropolitan boroughs; and is
equal to the population of a small town. Whether this decline will continue
remains to be seen, but it is pleasing to note that during 1960 there were
again more births than deaths, reversing the trend of the two previous years.
I have included in the report this year the adjusted Birth and Death
Rates. These are arrived at by applying area comparability factors,
supplied by the Registrar General, to compensate for variations in the age
and sex composition of the population from district to district. The
adjusted rates can therefore be compared directly with similarly adjusted
rates for other districts and with those for England and Wales as a whole.
(23747) A 3