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NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT, 1948
Section 47
The surveillance of persons who are unable properly to care for themselves receives
the constant attention of all members of the department. The various services operated
by the department continue to improve the lot of many of these unfortunate people who,
although they cannot do much for themselves, are unwilling to leave their home in
what is inevitably their last days. It was not necessary compulsorily to remove any
person during the year.
Section 50
Two persons (female 63 years and male 47 years) were buried under the provisions
of this section.
LAUNDRY SERVICE FOR THE INCONTINENT AGED
This service continues to meet a real need in the home at a time when help is usually
most urgent. To meet new working conditions at the laundry it was necessary to restrict
the days of collection and delivery of laundered articles to Mondays and Thursdays.
The service continues to work well and this is undoubtedly due in a very large
measure to the helpful, co-operative attitude of the department's driver and the laundry
staff at the Barking Hospital.
An average of about 15 cases use the service at any one time. From the commencement
of the service in December, 1953 to of this year 230 cases have received
assistance. During the year 46 new cases have been helped, 31 cases died, 17 were
removed to hospital and 2 no longer needed the service. At the end of the year 13 cases
were still participating; the number of articles laundered during the year was 11,295
compared with 13,376 articles for the previous year.
ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION
The Dark Smoke (Permitted Periods) Regulations, 1958 provide the maximum
periods for the emission of dark smoke from industrial plants; black smoke is limited
to not more than 2 minutes in the aggregate in any period of 30 minutes. 53 observations
were made of the chimneys of industrial premises in the Borough; statutory action was
not needed during the year. The Council continue to operate at the Civic Centre and
in the vicinity of Valence House instruments for the daily and monthly measurement of
air pollution.
Smoke Control Areas
The Council have been represented at the conference of local authorities covering
the East London area. The department's stand at the Dagenham Town Show held on
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