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23
PART 3
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Shortage of staff has again been a problem during the past year;
on the credit side, two student public health inspectors passed the
Diploma Examination at their first attempt and two additional
public health inspectors joined us from outside authorities. On the
debit side, however, two inspectors retired, another left for duties
with a rural authority and Mr. C. Jones, one of our experienced
inspectors, unfortunately collapsed and died suddenly—thus any
gain has been cancelled out. Two additional technical assistants
were appointed for work under the Offices, Shops and Railway
Premises Act, 1963, and have proved their worth. It is becoming
increasingly obvious that with the growth of legislation which has
taken place over the last decade, the Environmental Health Section
will need to be reorganised in the near future on a more sectional
basis, whereby more technical assistants can be employed on
special duties as assistants to public health inspectors.
New Imported Food Regulations came into force on the 1st
August, 1968. These Regulations permit port health authorities to
let consignments of foodstuffs go straight to inland authorities
without first being inspected at the port. It is then the duty of
the recipient authority to carry out inspection of this foodstuff on
arrival. These Regulations have not, as yet, caused any undue
stress upon the inspectorate but provision will most certainly have
to be made in the future when the Covent Garden Market Authority
commences operation at Nine Elms.
Housing work has increased in tempo during the current year.
The five-year slum clearance programme which commenced in
1965 has now been virtually completed, together with representation
of several additional areas. In addition, a recent survey has
been carried out of the whole Borough for possible clearance areas
to be surveyed in detail for the next five-year programme. Work
on houses in multiple occupation has really got under way in that
numbers of Direction Orders and Management Orders were made
and many notices were served under the Housing Act, 1961, for
fire precautions and for the provision of extra facilities, etc. In
certain cases, where owners failed to comply with these notices,
work was carried out in default. Multiple occupation is probably
the real housing problem of this Borough; each year approximately
950 persons enter the Borough direct from abroad and, in