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74
"Problems and Progress of Old People's Welfare" at the Town
Hall. The Town Clerk, as Honorary Secretary to the Committee,
included the following in the notice issued before the Conference:
"The Committee is a voluntary one, constituted in 1947
of representatives of organisations and statutory bodies and
has thus been able to review all aspects of welfare work for
old people in the past few years. It is anxious to make known
the services the Committee provide, such as meals on wheels
and old people's clubs and to discuss with organisations and
persons interested, the problems which still confront the Committee
and other agencies concerned with old people's welfarenow
a matter of major national importance."
A leaflet prepared by the Town Clerk was issued at the Conference,
stating the problem for consideration (vide the table
included on page 60 of the Report of the Medical Officer of Health,
1952) and describing the various agencies, official and voluntary,
their duties and their services in regard to old people's welfare. The
services provided by the Borough Council were referred to in the
following terms:—
"Responsible as the housing authority for providing
housing accommodation for all classes of the community
(including old people).
"In the Council's pre-war housing estates are 40 one-bedroom
flats specifically designed for letting to elderly couples.
The post-war housing programme has so far included 14 onebedroom
flats at the Priory Court and 20 flats at McEntee
Avenue. Of the other 58 one-bedroom flats erected, the
majority have been let to old people, particularly if they could
give the Council vacant possession of a three or four bedroom
house in exchange.
"In addition the Council have provided accommodation
for 44 old people in 5 hostels owned or controlled by them.
"As the sanitary authority for the cleansing of persons
and premises and for the removal to hospital or other suitable
premises (after court proceedings) of old people in need of
care and attention because of age, infirmity, physical incapacity
or insanitary conditions.
"This is a useful but distasteful power which has been
used in 3 cases only in the past 3 years.
"As the library authority for providing a mobile library
service for old people.
"As a local authority for exercising the permissive power
given by the National Assistance Act, 1948, to make