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7
atmospheric conditions, disseminated over a wide area. The coincidence
of circumstances which would enable the accurate collection
of potentially polluted air and its analysis makes investigation
extremely difficult. There is no reason to think that, at present,
there is any danger to health from this source. Indeed, the basic
question is "what is the effect of nuisance from aircraft in flight
on health?" In fact, there is little, if any, really accurate medical
or scientific information which can point unequivocally to the
direct or primary harmful effects of aircraft noise or emissions.
But indirect or secondary effects may cause subnormal health. The
annoyance and irritation occasioned by constant aircraft noise,
particularly at weekends and in the summer; the lack of sleep
caused by night flights; the high-pitched notes to which some
people are especially susceptible; all these, if they do not specifically
cause illness, may well have an indirect but cumulative deleterious
effect on health and well-being. Moreover, it can hardly be doubted
that with the certain increase in the number of jet aircraft and the
power of their engines, the nuisance caused will become worse
and it is those areas which are near to large international airports
where the hazard will be the greatest. There is, therefore, every
likelihood that we shall be faced with a considerable public health
problem in the future, unless something is done now. The authorities
concerned are certainly not unaware of the problems and
the number of night flights into London Airport is limited. Research
is also known to be proceeding into methods of reducing aircraft
engine noise and it can only be hoped that this will be successful.
We do not wish to see repeated the problem of atmospheric pollution
by smoke for it took the near catastrophe of the Great London
Smog of 1952 before any really effective powers became available.
It is better to prevent the pollution of the atmosphere by noise now
in the fairly early stages, rather than to wait until it has become so
intolerable that preventive measures would be very much more
difficult. Action at national and international levels is the only
effective way to achieve this.
The Council decided that from the inception of the new municipal
year in May, the three Committees, Health, Welfare and
Children's, which formerly controlled the respective departments,
should be combined into one Social Services Committee, which
would be responsible for the work of the three separate departments.
This, of course, meant some amendment to the detailed
work of the three former Committees but has had the great virtue
of making all the social services the responsibility of one single
Committee. Although the Chief Officers of these departments,
that is to say, Chief Welfare Officer, Children's Officer. Medical
Officer of Health, already had close links and liaison, the fact that
one Committee is now responsible for all their work has strengthened
these links and made liaison even closer. There is little
doubt that this was a satisfactory method of bringing the three
Social Service departments even closer together.