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As in the preparation of previous programmes of slum clearance the Metropolitan
Borough Councils, following surveys of their areas, prepared their proposals and
discussions on these took place with the borough medical officers of health. In spite
of the size of the task and the short time available, the majority of the agreed proposals
were in the hands of the Minister by the appointed day and all were submitted by the
end of September, 1955. The estimated total number of houses in the County as revealed
by the survey to be so unfit for habitation as to justify immediate demolition was 7,218 ;
of this figure the Council has undertaken to secure the demolition of 4,094 unfit houses
within the next five years.
Improvement
grants
Surveys were made in respect of 71 applications to the Council for improvement
grants under section 20 of the Housing Act, 1949 (as amended by the Housing Repairs
and Rents Act, 1954). In addition, 261 investigations were made in connection with
applications for such grants made to Metropolitan Borough Councils.
During the year 1,613 searches were made in connection with inquiries concerning
premises scheduled as dangerous structures.
Dangerou
structures
Public health laboratory
Full use was made of the facilities available at the Medical Research Council Public
Health Laboratory at the County Hall and the close liaison which is possible with the
staff of the laboratory has proved of great value.
Milk
arriving in
London
Milk sampling
Since 1908 it has been the practice of the Council to take samples of liquid milk arriving
by road or rail from the provinces and submit them to biological examination to
ascertain the extent to which the milk on its arrival in London is infected with tuberculosis.
In 1934 it was decided that no useful purpose would be served by sampling
milk brought into the county in large tankers as it was impossible to trace the farm of
origin ; since then sampling has been restricted to supplies arriving in churns. Any
samples showing signs of infection by tuberculosis are reported to the medical officer
of health of the district in which the farm of origin is situated so that, in conjunction
with the district veterinary officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food,
an inspection of the herd may be made with a view to the removal of infected cows.

* Guinea pigs died be/ore completion of test or the milk curdled.
As a result of the investigations into the origin of the five positive samples, information
has been received that one cow was slaughtered in each of three herds and that
in another herd several cows were slaughtered. In the fifth herd investigated no tuberculous
animals were detected.
All the raw milk from which the positive samples were obtained was pasteurised
before sale to the public.
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