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DERATIONING OF MEAT - SLAUGHTERHOUSES.
In November, 1953, in a White Paper the Government announced that the rationing,
allocation and price control of meat would end during the summer of 1954, and that at
the same time it would cease trading in meat. The policy of moderate concentration was
re-affirmed but it was realised that this would take several years to implement and that,
when rationing ended, more slaughterhouses would be required than under control.
The Ministry of Pood, therefore, asked the Inter-Departmental Committee on
Slaughterhouses, which had been appointed the previous February, to consider the interim
arrangements for slaughtering which would be necessary pending the completion of the
long-term plan. The Committee's Interim Report was published as a White Paper at the end
of January, 1954.
The Report recommended, inter alia, that in the interim period, before the
implementation of moderate concentration, the responsibility of ensuring that there would
be sufficient slaughterhouse accommodation in each district should be placed on the local
authority. After thirteen years of centralised slaughtering, the idea of reverting to
private slaughtering was difficult to accept, however, several butchers in the Borough
were not slow to re-act, and started to make plans for bringing their slaughterhouses into
operation. As a result, five slaughterhouses, in addition to the three already in existence
were licensed.
Two important Acts of Parliament, namely the Slaughterhouses Act, 1954, and the
Slaughter of Animals (Amendment) Act, 1954, were introduced during the year. The former
places the responsibility on local authorities of ensuring that adequate slaughtering
facilities are available in their districts and the latter, whilst tidying up one or two
ends of the law on this subject, implements some of the recommendations of the recent Royal
Commission on the slaughter of horses.
HOUSING.
The housing situation in the Borough continues to give cause for anxiety. During the
year, however, 65 individual unfit houses and parts of buildings were reported to the Housing
Committee as being unfit and not capable of being rendered fit at reasonable cost. These
dwellings represented some of the worst types in the Borough and included the relics of the
dangerous properties classified as "Total Loss" by the War Damage Commission during and
immediately after the War. 33 Demolition Orders and 3 Closing Orders were made during the
year.
Two areas were dealt with by the Unfitness Order procedure, Major Road, containing
6 houses, and Cliff Street, containing 13 houses. No objection was raised to the Major Road
scheme. An objection to the Order was dealt with by public enquiry in the case of Cliff Street
but the Minister confirmed it with one modification.
The number of houses visited on complaint and by house to house visitation was 6,419
and as a result of these visits, 3,860 notices were served, and 273 summonses were issued in
respect of non-compliance.
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