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Combined Drainage.—Five orders under seal for combined drainage were issued.
8
Convalescent Homes.—'Five mothers and babies were sent to post-natal convalescent homes for periods varying
from two to four weeks. As from the 1st April, 1946, the Council undertook the maintenance of two beds, for the use
of pre-school children, at St. Christopher's Nursery Training College and Convalescent Home, Pembury Road, Tunbridge
Wells, and nine cases were admitted from the Borough during the remainder of the year.
Maternity Survey.—During April, 1946, the health visitors interviewed a number of women who had recently borne
children, to assist a questionnaire survey inaugurated by a Joint Committee of the Royal College of Obstetricians and
Gynaecologists and the Population Investigation Committee for the purpose of collecting information, unobtainable
from any other source, to enable the Joint Committee to make informed suggestions as to whether and in what ways it
would be possible to help mothers with the social and economic problems that they meet in bearing children.
Fathercraft.—Towards the end of the year it was decided to afford facilities for the holding of classes in fathercraft
at the Lisson Grove Welfare Centre under the direction of a lecturer to be provided by the London County Council.
Day Nurseries.—Four day nurseries (whole-time), all recognised as training centres, continued to function throughout
the year. The Ministry of Health approved the taking over by the Council of the Sieff Hall (which forms part of the
nursery building at Salisbury Street) for the accommodation of 30 additional children, thus raising the total number
of places in the extended nursery from 60 to 90. Consequently the number of children admitted gradually increased
but owing to the difficulty of obtaining sufficient nursing staff some considerable time elapsed before it was found
possible to accept the full complement of 90.
The administration of the nurseries from the 1st April, 1946 (when total reimbursement by the Ministry of Health
of local authority expenditure was replaced by a grant of approximately 50 per cent.) was discussed with representatives
of the London County Council (as local education authority) and the Government departments concerned following
the issue of a joint circular by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education. The County Council indicated
that although they were conducting nursery classes for 350 children aged 3—5 years in ten infants' schools in St.
Marylebone, they had neither the buildings nor the teachers to deal with the 225 children aged 2—5 years accommodated
at the four day nurseries in the Borough or on the waiting lists. It was therefore agreed that the only possible
alternative was for the Borough Council (as welfare authority) to continue for the time being all their day nursery
arrangements, including educational facilities, and the Minister of Health subsequently approved these proposals.
After the 1st October, 1946, all applications for the admission of children to the nurseries were dealt with centrally
at the Town Hall and the separate waiting lists at each nursery abolished. Under the new system vacancies in all
nurseries are allotted to the best advantage after consideration of the needs of applicants for priority according to a
'' points " scheme in operation.
Arrangements were made for the nursery students to attend courses of instruction for the National Nursery Certificate
examination, and for the younger students to receive part-time general education pending their eligibility for the
nursery course.
The Portman Day Nursery, which was evacuated from the Salisbury Street premises to Limpsfield in October, 1939,
and later taken over by the Surrey County Council, closed down on the 31st March, 1946, and certain nursery equipment
was rptnrnpd to the Salisburv Street Nurserv.

SECTION C.—SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES.
Water.—Apart from water obtained for domestic purposes from private wells at .three large blocks of flats, a constant
supply throughout the Borough is provided through the mains of the Metropolitan Water Board, and no complaint
as to insufficiency or quality was received during the year. In accordance with the provisions of the Public Health
(London) Act, 1936, the Board notified three instances where water had been cut off in occupied premises for nonpayment
of rate, and in all cases the supply was reinstated. Private well waters were examined periodically by the'
Public Analyst and the Council's Bacteriologist with satisfactory results.
Drainage.—The number of plans approved was 372, of which 296 related to old buildings and 76 to new buildings
(including 67 prefabricated houses). During the year it was not found necessary to take advantage of the provisions of
the Building Restrictions (War-Time Contraventions) Act, 1946, which is designed to secure, among other things, a
measure of control over drainage and similar works carried out, in contravention of legal requirements, on properties
occupied by or on behalf of the Crown during the war period.
TABLE 4.—Day Nuesekies.
No.
Nursery.
Date of
Opening.
Number of Places.
Average Daily
Attendance.
0—2
years.
2—5
years.
Total.
0—2
years.
2—5
years.
Total.
1
12-18, Salisbury Street
26.1.1942
36
54
90
25
39
64
2
St. Vincent's Creche, 14, Blandford Street
1.9.1942
15
20
35
7
22
29
3
3, Devonshire Street
16.8.1943
21
36
57
17
34
51
4
86, Carlton Hill
1.12.1943
24
26
50
16
29
45
Totals
96
136
232
65
124
189