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the Ministry of Agriculture had passed their control under,
the Rats and Mice Destruction Act, 1919, to,.the. Ministry of
Food, The scope of action envisaged and called for by the
Ministryof Food would occupy the attention of health staffs
to the exclusion of almost overy other duty.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
No legal proceedings under the foregoing headings were
taken, but proceedings under the Food and Drugs Act are
reported later in this Report.
SECTION D. HOUSING.
In the reports of the pre-war years I have deprecated
the increasing practice of transforming houses into so-called
flats with a minimum attempt to provide separate sanitary,
cooking and washing facilities. As a result of raid devastation
sub-division of houses has been intensified, but
alleviation of this undesirable feature in housing conditions
must of necessity be deferred for earnest consideration to
the days of reconstruction.
This is only one small point arising in the great social
reform of re-housing with all its complications which awaits
the planning of post-war housing. It would be idle at this
juncture to attempt to forecast post-war housing policy, but
of one thing we may be certain, a vast housing programme
awaits us which must be planned on a nation wide basis. The
war will alter many of our pre-war social habits; for example
community feeding may continue into the post-war period; the
equal employment of women in the labour market will influence
the continuance of war-time nurseries and the care and
attention of the child in its pre-school age.
In the midst of additional duties due to war-time
conditions the depleted staff of Sanitary Inspectors have
been unable to attend to the essentials of housing inspection
during 1941. One complaint 420 houses have been inspected
involving a total of 1,630 inspections. Over 600 housing
defects of one kind or another have boon abated and houses
rendered fit as the result of cordial co-operation between
the owners, agents and the staff without resort to any
statutory action.
Two, instances of gross overcrowding were investigated
complaint and the adverse conditions found were abated,
is impracticable at this juncture to report on overcrowding
conditions. Abnormal cases are being dealt with as
and when they arise.