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ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE
ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
The change of Local Government structure in Greater London resulted
in various subjects previously dealt with by the Middlesex County Council
being taken over by the Environmental Health Section. The additional
duties falling to the Public Health Inspectors included work in connection
with the Diseases of Animals Act, Pharmacy and Poisons Act, Theatrical
Employers Registration Act, Food and Drugs Act, Merchandise Marks
Act, Performing Animals (Regulation) Act, Consumer Protection Act,
Fertilisers and Feedingstuffs Act and all associated Regulations and Orders.
The Department also became responsible for those parts of the Middlesex
County Council Act relating to Employment Agencies.
Of these transferred services, the ones concerned with food provide
the greatest increase in work.
Mr. Eric Voelcker, A.R.C.S., F.R.I.C., was appointed Public Analyst
to the district and Mr. J. H. Shelton, F.R.I.C., as Deputy Analyst. A
Senior Public Health Inspector, Mr. R. T. Govett, was appointed Food
and Drugs Officer. His duties include matters arising from the Food and
Drugs Act and those Acts relating to allied subjects which involve the
taking of samples. Details of the work undertaken are referred to later in
this Report.
The work falling to the Department as a result of the transfer of duties
relating to the Diseases of Animals Acts, necessitates close co-operation
with the Veterinary staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Food, and the Department will be closely concerned in the event of an
outbreak of a disease to which these Acts relate. These include, so far as
they relate to animals, Cattle Plague, Pleuro-Pneumonia, Foot-and-Mouth
Disease, Sheep-Pox, Sheep-Scab or Swine Fever; and so far as they relate
to poultry, Fowl Pest and Fowl Plague, Pneumo-Encephalitis, Fowl
Cholera, Contageous Bronchitis, Infectious Laryngo-Tracheitis, Bacillary
Diarrhoea, Fowl Typhoid, Fowl Pox and Fowl Paralysis.
In addition to numerous Orders relating to specific diseases or conditions
there are some ninety Orders concerning such matters as Exportation
and Transit Orders, Importation Orders and Miscellaneous Orders.
In addition to work in connection with outbreaks of disease within
the area, the Department is responsible for keeping under observation
animals moved into the area as authorised by Movement Orders and for
ensuring that waste foods used for animal or poultry food are treated in
accordance with the provisions of the Diseases of Animals (Waste Foods)
Order 1957.
HOUSING
Since the formation of the Harrow Urban District on the 1 st April 1934,
successive Annual Reports of the Medical Officer of Health have referred
to "Housing". In fact, these Reports bear witness not only to the progress
that has been made in this field, but to the difficulties and the problems of