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mid-1964, were subjected to endless demands on their services and who have been working under
stress and strain far more prolonged and severe than could have been foreseen.
It will be interesting from the preventive medicine point of view to see the effect of this on the
health of these officers in the future and even on their span of life. It is possible that many of the
senior officers in the older age groups will have had their expectation of life materially reduced as
a result of the prolonged mental and physical stresses to which they have been subjected.
COMMITTEE ARRANGEMENTS
During the interim period up to 1st April 1965, a Health Committee was appointed to deal with
all Health, Sanitary and Welfare matters. On the 1st April 1965 the Committee was redesignated
the Health & Welfare Committee. In 1966 this combined Committee was replaced by two independent
committees dealing with Health and Welfare matters respectively, but leaving the combined
departmental structure unchanged.
In 1968, following the Maud Report on Management of Local Government, the committee
structure was again altered, the Children's Committee being abolished and a single Social Services
(& Children's) Committee became responsible for all the functions of the previous Health, Welfare
and Children's Committees. The Children's Department still remained an independent department
under the Children's Officer who continued to report independently to the Social Services (&
Children's) Committee.
In 1968 the meetings of the Social Services (& Children's) Committee were opened to the press
and public whilst matters of general interest were under consideration. Items of business involving
the personal affairs of individuals or matters which it was not in the public interest to divulge at
that stage, were dealt with separately without the press and public being present. The number of
members of the public attending the meetings during the first year was very small.
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