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During the year further work on the Worcester Park Sewage Works was
undertaken and other work planned The Cuddington Way relief soil sewer
was completed and work commenced on a contract for soil relief sewers at
Stayton Road and Stonecot Hill
The water supply of the district was maintained at its usual high
standard of purity Excellent co operation cont. nued with the staff of the
Sutton District Water Company Towards the end of the year the Minister
of Health informed Local Health Authorities in Circular 28/1962 that he
was prepared to approve under Section 28 of the National Health Service
Act, 1946, the making of arrangements with Water Undertakers for the
addition of fluoride to water supplies which are deficient in it naturally
It will be a condition of his approval that the technical aspects of the
arrangements have the prior approval of the Minister of Housing and Local
Government.
Towards the end of the year the Minister of Health informed the
Council that the Borough of Sutton and Cheam should be considered as
being in the Black Area as regards the Clean Air Act, 1956 In consequence
a Technical Assistant was appointed at the end of the year and will take
up his duties early n the new yea. The first area to be surveyed was
approved by the Council.
By far the most important happening in 1962, however, was the
acceptance of the Royal Commission's Report on Local Government
Reorganisation in the Greater London Area, with modifications and the
Government's decision to implement it as from the 1st April, 1965. The
Greater London Council and the Councils of the Greater London Boroughs
will in fact be elected in April and May 1964 respectively. In conjunction
with the Borough of Beddington and Wallington and the Urban District of
Carshalton, Sutton and Cheam is to form Borough Number 21. The effect
is that Borough 21 will become a local health, welfare and education
authority and the children's authority. The Borough will have all the powers
of a County Borough with minor exceptions, such as the exclusion of the
ambulance service, which will be directly under the control of the Greater
London Council, Thus truly will a local authority become responsible for
local services and much overlapping of responsibilities eliminated There
will be much reorganisation to be done, and not the least problem will be
that of dovetailing the staffs of four authorities (in the case of the health
services) into one, and getting them housed under one roof for efficient
administration.
The work of sanitary supervision of the district and of the protection
of food was efficiently carried out during the year under the direction of
the Chief Public Health Inspector I thank him for his helpful collaboration
and report, and also the inspectorial clerical and outdoor staff of the
Health Department for the work they have done during the year.
My work has again been facilitated by he continued co-operation
from the County staff at all levels, from Hospital and Laboratory staffs,
and particularly from the general practitioners of the district. This, too,
remains true of the Council Chief Officers and their staffs, who also have
provided information used in this report.
Finally, Mr Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen, I should like to express my
thanks for the support you have given me during the year.
I am,
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Your obedient Servant,
JOHN C. BIRCHALL,
Medical Officer of Health.