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In addition to the work carried out by the Public Health Inspectors under the Act, the Shops
and Other Acts Inspectors carry out inspection of shops (other than food shops) in the City and I
am indebted to Mr. J.M. Loten, the Chief Inspector for the following report:-
"The application of the Act to shop premises has been interesting and, in some respects,
surprising. A cross section of premises, old and new; large and small; retail and wholesale, has
been visited in the five months since the Act came into force. These inspections, in addition to
representing the commencement of administration, were designed to provide information upon which
broad standards could be set in respect of those provisions not covered by specific requirements
in the Act itself or the Regulations which had been made.
Ventilation is undoubtedly the requirement which has received the least attention in the
past and which, with a few notable exceptions, receives scant or no attention in the design and
equipping of the modern shop. Attempts are being made to prompt occupiers and shopfitters to
examine their schemes in relation to their compliance with the Act, and thus prevent the completion
of new lock-up shops, in particular, without having made suitable provision for compliance
with the Act, pointing out that within the three solid walls and the plate glass frontage, 'effective
and suitable provision shall be made for securing and maintaining, by the circulation of adequate
supplies of fresh or artificially purified air, the ventilation". Whilst the Minister has
power to prescribe by regulation a standard for ventilation no such regulation has yet been made,
and, it is understood, none is contemplated.
Once contact has been made the other aspects of the Act's provisions are examined to see
that in these respects also the Act will be complied with.
It is generally acknowledged that the minimum temperature requirement of 60.8°F. after the
first hour is not excessive, but there are a number of instances where this is never achieved
during the day. The need to provide thermometers is something which has caught most shopkeepers
unprepared. In at least once instance compliance was achieved by a thermometer attached
to a greetings card!
The provision of some first aid equipment has been found to be more general than was
anticipated, and to bring the existing stock up to the prescribed standard presents no difficulty.
The problem will be to keep the first aid box properly stocked.

The accidents reported all of which have been investigated, disclosed none of a
serious nature but they showed how carelessness is the main contributing cause.
Each general inspection has disclosed some points where the Act was not being complied
with, in a few instances only minor things being required to be done. The result of each general
inspection is made the subject of a report to the occupier in writing. It should be said that in
the majority of cases the report is accepted in a reasonable and responsible way and action is
initiated to remedy the defects which have been disclosed. It is too early to say how satisfactorily
some questions will be resolved but from the further consultations which have taken place between
specialists who have been brought in to advise and your inspectors there is every reasonfor
anticipating that the occupiers are prepared to accept with good grace the new standards which
the Act has imposed."
WELFARE
I am indebted to Mrs. Rita Cohen, M.B.E., Honorary Welfare Officer and Honorary Secretary
of the City of London Old People's Welfare Association for the following report:-
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