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67
present division of responsibility was indicated in a reply to the following
question in the House of Commons on the 31st October, 1957:—
"What measures were proposed to ensure that the level of strontium
90 and other radio active substances in various parts of Britain were
ascertained at frequent intervals ? "
"The Agricultural Research Council had accepted responsibility for
monitoring soil, herbage, farm animals and milk and other foodstuffs,
while the Atomic Energy Research Establishment would remain responsible
for monitoring air and rainwater and for analysing the radioactivity
present in samples of human bone."
The following, however, is an extract from a report of the Atomic
Energy Authority on the Windscale accident (Cmd. 342). " Quite apart
from the rapidly extending demand for operational health and safety
staff, there is an urgent need for education in radiological problems over
a wide field of industry and the public service. Medical Officers of Health
and their senior medical staff must understand radiological hazards and
methods of detecting whether any contamination or exposure has
occurred. Inspectors of factories, sanitary and water engineers will require
similar knowledge. Industrial nurses, health visitors and the police
should be given basic instruction. These are but examples to illustrate
the size of the problem."
Rats and Mice
The rodent operatives found rats or mice at 1,296 of the 1,429
premises they visited. Each of the infestations was small and localised.
Most complaints were from private dwelling houses, 1,003 of these being
in respect of rats, 107 of mice. Forty-one infestations of rats and four of
mice were at Corporation properties, 85 and 56 at other premises.
The number of visits made by the rodent operatives to these properties
was 11,064. The figure of 1,296 for 1957 compares with 1,192 in 1956
and 1,429 in 1955. There was an increase over last year's figures of the
rat infestations on Corporation property and on private premises. The
figures for mice and rats in other premises were much the same in the
two previous years.
The greater number of treatments on Corporation property was
possible as the services of four rodent operatives were available for almost
all of the year, and they were able to give more frequent attention to the
watercourses and land owned by the Corporation. Two factors may
have a bearing on the increase in the number of infestations in private
dwellings: 1957 did not have the periods of extreme wet and cold weather
of 1956; but of perhaps more importance is that of the practice of feeding
animals and wild birds in the gardens of private houses which is on the
increase. This results in a great deal of the cereal-type foodstuffs which
is Particularly attractive to rats being made available to them.
The normal biennial treatment of the sewers known to be infested
with rats was carried out. In addition a ten per cent test on the whole
syestem in the district was undertaken. During this test, involving 662
manholes, was taken from only 13. This suggests that the rat
Population in the sewers of the district is small.