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58
Some local authorities have set up their own monitoring service for
radioactivity; others seem to be considering doing so. While agreeing
that there is a special case in relation to drinking water, and perhaps a
special responsibility falling on those local authorities who are water
undertakers, the Minister of Housing and Local Government feels that
in general any measurements local authorities might make only tend to
duplicate the Government's own monitoring programme for fall-out,
and that they could only expect to detect radioactivity which they could
do little to control within the limits of their powers and areas. Particularly
because of an incident which occurred in the Borough when a radioactive
isotope fell from a lorry on its way through the district, the Council
approached the Minister of Transport about what precautionary measures
could be taken. They were informed that draft regulations were to be
ready early in the New Year which would cover such things as the precautions
to be taken by carriers, the labelling of containers and the
standards of packing to be complied with. The object of these regulations
would be to ensure that packages containing radioactive material can be
transported without danger either to the public or to the crew of the
vehicle.
Rats and Mice
The rodent operatives found rats or mice at 1,586 of the 1,690 premises
they visited. Each of the infestations was small and localised. Most
complaints were from private dwelling houses, 1,294 of these being in
respect of rats, 82 of mice. Forty infestations of rats and four of mice
were at Corporation properties, 121 and 45 at other premises. All these
figures are larger than the corresponding ones for 1958.
The number of visits made by the rodent operatives to these properties
was 1,690, a marked rise of those in recent years.
Vermin infestation is encouraged by the widespread practice of
people feeding pets and wild birds in the back gardens of their houses
without taking even elementary precautions against this encouraging
rodents.
The small number of sewers known to be infested with rats were
treated twice during the year. The results of the treatment do not suggest
any increase in the rat population.
Periodical surveys of watercourses and land owned by the Corporation
were made and treatments carried out where necessary.
Wasps
There are marked variations in the prevalence of wasps and in the
requests for help to deal with their nests. In 1957 there were 345, in the
next two years, 213 and 265. 1958 was a year of low infestation, only
111 nests being destroyed. By contrast, the number of 818 this last year
was the largest number of requests ever received. Limitations of staff
prevented them all being dealt with, and even these had to be attended
to in rotation and a waiting list created. It proved possible to deal with
only 672 of these requests.