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April, 1969 following an Order made by the Minister of Housing
and Local Government — they are sections 2, 6, and 8—15
inclusive.
Section 2 gives the Minister power to make Regulations
prescribing maximum permissible rates of emission of grit and
dust from furnace chimneys. Existing controls over emissions
from furnaces burning solid fuel will be applied to those burning
oil and gas.
Section 6 extends local authorities powers of control over
the heights of furnace chimneys. This will include new chimneys
serving furnaces in shops and offices as well as in factories. The
advantage of this measure was mentioned in my Annual Report
for the year 1966.
Section 8 empowers the Minister to direct any local authority
which is failing to tackle the problem of smoke control energetically
to draw up a programme for his approval, or alternatively for the
Minister himself to prepare a programme and direct the local
authority to carry it out.
Section 9 deals with the sale of unauthorised fuel in smoke
control areas, making it an offence to buy bituminous coal for
use in a smoke control area or to sell or deliver it to premises
in such an area unless there is some special exemption.
Section 11 removes the responsibility local authorities had
regarding dark smoke, grit and dust emissions and smoke nuisances
from works scheduled under the Alkali Act and places the whole
of the responsibility in this matter on the Alkali Inspectorate.
The remaining sections deal with procedural amendments
to the 1956 Act and the relationship between the Clean Air Acts
and the Alkali, etc. Works Regulations Act, 1906.
NOISE ABATEMENT
There was a considerable reduction in the number of noise
complaints investigated during the year, 35 being dealt with as
against 53 in 1967. although the number of visits increased from
174 to 344. All cases were resolved informally. Nineteen of these
cases referred to industrial and commercial premises and were
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