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50
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT ACTION FOLLOWING THE
WORKING PARTY REPORT
(i) Ministry of Health.
In September, 1951, the Ministry of Health issued to Regional Hospital
Boards and Hospital Management Committees a Circular—H.M.C. (51)
79—drawing the attention of hospital authorities to the recommendations
contained in the Report of the Catering Trade Working Party, and enclosing
notes on the Prevention of Food Infection by kitchen and dining room
workers.
In June, 1953, the Minister of Health addressed to hospital authorities
a further official communication—Circular H.M.C. (53) 49—in which he
urged Hospital Management Committees to enlist as freely as possible the
help of the Medical Officer of Health and his staff in order to ensure that
inspection of hospital catering hygiene is fully and effectively carried out.
In November, 1953, the Borough Medical Officer of Health, Leyton, and
his staff were invited to make periodic inspections of the catering departments
of hospitals in the area; a first report on these inspections has been submitted
to the Hospital Management Committee.
(ii) Ministry of Food.
In 1953 the Ministry of Food issued a 59 page booklet entitled "Clean
Catering"— a handbook on premises, equipment and practices for the
promotion of hygiene in catering establishments. The booklet's avowed
object is to give practical advice to caterers.
(iii) Ministry of Education.
In January, 1954, the Ministry of Education issued to Local Education
Authorities, Circular 272 dealing with precautions considered to be necessary
in the preparation and service of food in school canteens, and emphasised
the risks of food poisoning in the hope that Local Education Authorities
would take the measures necessary to avoid these risks. In that Circular
the Minister, after suggesting measures for improving co-operation between
school medical, teaching and kitchen staffs, emphasised the fact that such
co-operation does not exempt the Medical Officer of Health from his statutory
duty in respect of food premises (including school canteens) in his area.
(iv) Food and Drugs (Amendment) Bill.
During recent years satisfaction has been felt among local sanitary
authorities and their officers on learning that the Government intended to
introduce legislation to implement the recommendations contained in the
Working Party Report and give to Local Authorities the powers required to
raise the standard of food production and hygiene in the country.
Unfortunately, following representations made by the catering trades,
the Government has recently replaced certain of the essential clauses in the
Bill by." Codes of Practice " to which it is hoped that caterers will conform.
CONTROL BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITY
Lack of enforceable standards is a serious impediment in the campaign
for clean food, for the initiation of legal proceedings without official standards
is an unreliable weapon in any attack on dirty food premises.