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Health Education. 44 talks on different subjects about health
education and the health services of the district were given to audiences
in the district. Among the various exhibits arranged was the one at the
Delegate Conference. Most of the others were shown at the clinics and
at the libraries.
Appointment of Health Advisory Council. As part of their
campaign for clean food, the Council in 1949 set up the Harrow Food
Hygiene Advisory Council, a body on which those engaged in food in
any way were strongly represented. In the earlier stages when there were
no statutory standards, various members of the Committee were extremely
helpful in advising about the codes of practice which, while being sufficiently
stringent to be really useful, would nevertheless be practicable and
be acceptable to those who had to work them. The Advisory Council
were responsible, too, for deciding whether an applicant should be granted
a food hygiene certificate which he could exhibit on his premises, and also
qualify for a plaque which could be displayed. It was hoped that in time
those dealing with foodstuffs would apply for and qualify for the receipt
of certificates and plaques, it being hoped that when a substantial proportion
exhibited them the discriminating shopper would appreciate their
significance. In point of fact only a small proportion applied even though
many who did not apply undoubtedly qualified for them, and in all only
about one-third obtained and exhibited their certificates so this side of
the work of the Advisory Council virtually came to an end. At the same
time, the introduction of the Food Hygiene Regulations gave added
powers to authorities to bring about the desirable standards of hygiene
at food premises. This resulted in the work becoming part of the routine
work of the Public Health Inspectors.
Concurrently with the diminution in the work to be done by the
Food Hygiene Advisory Council there was a continued expansion in the
field of health education, something which in this district had started
with the educational side of the clean food campaign. It was becoming
increasingly necessary to get into touch with various bodies and a matter
growing in importance was that of learning the best way of approaching
them. To its other duties the Public Health Committee had added certain
responsibilities in regard to the campaign in favour of safety in the home,
while at the same time it was apparent that under the Clean Air Act,
particularly the work dealing with smoke control areas, the right approach
to the problem and to the people concerned was to be a matter of the utmost
importance. This education of the public and also study of the way
to approach the public was something the Food Hygiene Advisory Council
had had experience in, and it seemed that it would be helpful if their
experience could be made available in these extended ventures on which
the Public Health Committee was embarking, The position, then, was
that, while the food hygiene activities of the Food Advisory Council
were diminishing, the Public Health Committee needed the assistance that
a body with the accumulated experience of this Advisory Council could
give in its extended activities. At their meeting on the 17th February then,
the Public Health Committee submitted the following resolution: "That
the Council hereby approve the setting up of a Health Advisory Council