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9
The Council's training programme for student public health inspectors
continues to operate satisfactorily and five students are under training
at the present time— the maximum number which under the
Regulations of the Public Health Inspectors Education Board can
be accepted by the existing staff of qualified inspectors. The practical
training of these students places an added burden on the senior inspectors
in the Department, but the work is worthwhile and will assist materially
in overcoming the nation-wide shortage of inspectors which exists at
the present time. Since 1958, four students have been trained in the
Department, have qualified and have been appointed to positions with
the City Council.
The survey of houses in multiple occupation continues steadily and
good progress is being made. The work of inspecting all the houses in
multiple occupation in Westminster is a task of some magnitude and will
inevitably take some while to complete.
The Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act, 1963, comes into
operation on 1st August, 1964. Registration of premises is being effected
at the present time and many thousands of application forms are being
received in the Department. A number of Statutory Instruments have
now been issued by the Government setting out standards for amenities
and facilities in such premises. Visits to those premises covered by the
Act in which responsibility for inspection is placed upon the City Council,
have now commenced and where necessary improvements in working
conditions will be required. In April, 1963, as an initial step the
establishment of the Health Department was increased by four posts of
public health inspector to assist in carrying out this additional work.
The Council's programme for the establishment of Smoke Control
Areas has almost reached completion. The original programme provided
for the whole of Westminster to be smokeless by 1965, but an endeavour
was made to hasten the work with a view to its completion during 1964.
Unfortunately, the final Smoke Control Order in respect of the Westminster
(South) area was not confirmed by the Minister of Housing and
Local Government in time for it to be operative during 1964, and it will
now come into operation on 1st July, 1965. Opportunity has again been
taken to include in this Report a map (facing page 82) showing those
parts of the City where Smoke Control Orders are in force.
The public health inspectors have continued to give attention to
food shops and catering establishments, of which there are several
thousand in Westminster. This is a difficult and time consuming task,
but every effort is made to obtain the highest possible standards not
only of premises and equipment but also in personal hygiene. In the
majority of cases owners and caterers are co-operative and many
improvements have been achieved, but, with constantly changing staffs,
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