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It is not possible to deal adequately with all the details of the
Report in this resume, for it contains no less than six chapters and
ten appendices closely printed on 145 pages.
The Report deals very fully with the origin and development
of the office of Sanitary Inspector, and the obligations placed upon
the various types of Local Authority by Acts of Parliament.
Considerable space is devoted in Chapter II to the nature of
the duties performed by Sanitary Inspectors, and separate sections
are drawn up to deal with the inspection of dwellings, drainage,
moveable dwellings, canal boats, Shops and Factories Acts, food inspection,
inspection of water supplies and under milk regulations,
sampling under the Food and Drugs Act, cleansing and refuse removal,
etc.
Charts are included in that part of the Report dealing with
organisation and conditions of service. The Report refers to the
title of Senior Sanitary Inspector and considers it to be ambiguous,
but usually it is synonymous with Chief Sanitary Inspector, although
in some cases it denotes an intermediate rank below the
Chief Sanitary Inspector.
This Chapter also deals with security of tenure, Port Health,
Inspection, etc.
Chapter III deals with sources of recruitment, educational arrangements,
standard of education required before entry for the
Sanitary Inspectors examination, etc.
Part III of this Chapter deals with future recruitment and covers
approximately 6 pages. Briefly speaking the prospects of being able
to recruit 250 annually are poor, for in 1951 the number of qualify
ing certificates issued was 153, and in 1952, 150. The anticipated
number for 1953 is poor, for the number of students completing their
training is about 81, that for 1952 was 197 and for 1951, 243. The
question of salaries was not in the scope of the Working Party, but
a section nevertheless is given to salaries paid.
The Working Party were of the opinion that the salary paid is
a factor in the decline of recruitment, and one that merits attention
by the appropriate bodies.
Considerable space is given to the question of status and title.
The Working Party were of the opinion that the meaning of the
word "Sanitary" had been narrowed down over the period of years,
whilst the scope of the duties of the Sanitary Inspector had widened,
so that there now appeared good grounds for substituting Public
Health for "Sanitary."
Because of the wide use of the word "Inspector" even for more
important posts they could not see the need to substitute any other
term for it. They recommended that the present designation should
be replaced by that of Public Health Inspector.
Chapter IV covers training. A review in 13 pages is given of
present training in all its aspects, and the Chapter concludes with
the recommendations included in the summary hereunder.
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