London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Brentford and Chiswick 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Brentford and Chiswick]
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in council houses and details concerning assessment of slum dwellings, demoli
tion and the building of new houses are supplied later in this Report.
Overcrowding of dwelling houses still remains a problem in the Borough but
the number of cases of statutory overcrowding known to the Public Health Depart
ment at the end of the year decreased. There were fewer new cases found during
the year and again there was an increase in the number of cases relieved during
the year. In this year also the Housing Committee of the Council reviewed the
points system by which housing needs of applicants are assessed, in order to
give advancement in priority to applicants with serious health difficulties,
and to endeavour to provide ground floor accommodation or in flats with lift
service for the old and the severely handicapped whenever they could be housed.
The unemployment figures for adult persons i.e. aged 18 and over in the
Borough at the end of 1961, reflect a decrease in the number of jobs available
due to various firms moving out of the Borough to larger premises On the 11th
December, 1961, there were 266 unemployed altogether of which 200 were men and
66 women. This compares with 147 men and 34 women unemployed at the end of
1960, and 180 men and 55 women unemployed at the end of 1959.
On 6th December 1961 the number of jobs vacant totalled 331,, (423 at
the same date in 1960) of which 133 were for men and 198 for women i,e. there
were more vacancies than there were unemployed persons seeking vacancies.
The unemployment figures at the end of 1961 of young persons under 18 years of age were as follows:-
| Boys | Girls | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of young persons (other than school leavers) registered as unemployed on 31.12.61 | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| Boys and Girls who left school at Christmas to enter employment | 81 | 71 | 152 |
| Totals | 87 | 76 | 163 |
| Vacancies outstanding at 31.12.61 | 89 | 141 | 230 |
Contrary to general belief earlier in the year that there would be a shortage
of progressive vacancies in the area to meet the anticipated increase in the
number of school leavers the demand from employers for most categories of young
workers was heavy throughout the year and it was found that the first year of
the bulge' did not result in boys and girls experiencing undue difficulties in
finding suitable employment This was due mainly to many boys and girls deciding
to return to school for a fifth year and therefore reducing the number of leavers
at the end of the Summer term below the level expected although there is no
question that there was in addition an improvement in the general industrial
situation compared with last year.
It was not always possible to meet the labour requirements of employers
but many factors outside the control of the Youth Employment Service contributed
to this difficulty.
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