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24
Number of Visits - Private Dwellings 1,530
„ „ „ - Business Premises 170
5,700
This number includes only premises visited after
notifications of suspected infestations are received in the
Department. Over 1,000 premises were inspected also in
connection with routine surveys.
Insect Pest Control is carried out with the same staff
as that engaged in rodent control works This arrangement
is an economical one, as frequently one visit will serve the
dual purpose of dealing with "both classes of infestation.
Considerable success has "been achieved in food premises
where it is now very unusual to find even a moderately large
infestation,, In fact, treatment is now applied more
frequently as a deterrent rather than as an actual agent of
destruction. Insects are frequently imported with goods
into "business premises and less often into housese An
interesting case of the former occurred during 1949, It
referred to an unusual type of beetle found in a wine store.
A specimen was brought to the office for identification. It
turned out to be the golden ground beetle, a native of
Prancep and it had doubtless been imported in the wine cases.
The proprietor had become alarmed at the increasing number
of these beetles, but prompt action prevented what might
have been a serious infestation had it not been detected and
subjected to treatment at an early stage.
Section P.
HOUSING.
The need for a complete survey of housing conditions has
been stressed in previous Reports and it is a matter for
regret that the Minister of Health did not find it possible
to issue a directive during 1949 so that action on a national
scale could be commenced. It is not possible to estimate with
accuracy the housing needs of this town or of the country as
a whole until a complete picture of the state of housing is
available.
As a first step a standardized fom of record is requisite
and it has been understood that such a form has been under
consideration by the Ministry for the past year or two. Uniformity
throughout the country in. the standard of survey is
very necessary, so that the needs of each area may be assessed
by the same yard stick. It is hoped that a survey of the
Borough will not be long delayedo
In the meantime all possible action has been, and will be,
taken to deal with houses in need of repair. The high cost of
housing repairs compared with pre-war costs, and the fact that
in the majority of cases, there has been no compensating increase
in incomes from houses, is an important limiting factor
on the extent to which demands can be made for any extensive
repair worke It is not at all infrequent to come across cases
where outgoings have exceeded income from small house property
over a number of years. This is a problem which is likely to
recur more often in the future and it is one which produces
many headaches for your sanitary inspectors in their efforts to
improve or even to try to maintain present housing standards.