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Later the Government introduced the Clean Air Bill which had
reached the Committee Stage by the end of the year. The Council's
views on various clauses in the Bill were widely circulated and
amendments to the Bill were pressed vigorously.
The points put forward included:—
1. All users of boiler installations should be required to
maintain some form of indicator and recorder for indicating and
recording the quality and quantity of the smoke passing up the
chimney;
2. There should be a prohibition against the sale of any
fuel appliances which are not of an approved quality and
performance. Statutory specifications should be issued.
3. The Government should be encouraged to remove the
purchase tax on the sale of approved appliances.
4. Hire purchase should be as readily available for solid
fuel appliances as they are for gas and electric fitments.
5. That in the "black" areas, special tariffs should be
offered to house occupiers who use electricity or gas only for the
purpose of space heating.
6. The sale of bituminous coal should be prohibited in
smoke control areas as a positive method of preventing the
burning of unsuitable fuels in such areas.
7. The sale and export of coke outside the United Kingdom
should cease.
When the Bill becomes Law it will represent a big step forward
towards a cleaner atmosphere but much will depend upon the vigour
with which the Local Authorities administer the law and also upon
rousing the public conscience so that willing co-operation is forthcoming
from everyone whether in the home or in industry.
Measurement of Pollution
Barking Corporation still co-operates with 223 other bodies
nationally in the measurement of atmospheric pollution. Four
measuring instruments are maintained in the Borough, and are so
sited as to give an indication of the pollution arising in areas of
differing character (see map).
During the year under review, the Department of Scientific and
Industrial Research issued a Report on Observations in the ten years
ended 31st March, 1954.
The Report demonstrated the relationship between the observe
trends in pollution and the total amounts of coal used by various
classes of consumer.
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