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The Bill also provides for the payment of grants by the Exchequer and the Local
Authorities towards the cost of converting appliances in private dwellings in smoke
controlled areas; amends and extends the Alkali Etc. Works Regulations Act; and
provides for application to Crown premises and naval vessels.
The areas in England, Scotland and Wales most likely to be declared as smoke
controlled areas are the main industrial areas in the vicinity of Birmingham, Bristol,
Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and
Sheffield.
In these densely populated areas old-fashioned coal fires will be replaced by
smokeless fuel burners.,The Government and Local Authorities will share the main
burden of the expense involved. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is to provide 40%
and the Local Authorities at least JO% of the cost of each new grate or cooking stove
installed. A very wide estimate for converting household fires in the main industrial
areas mentioned above is £3,000,000 a year payable by the Government and £2,000,000 by
Local Authorities over a period of from 10 to 15 years. This estimate Is influenced
by a number of important factors such as the speed with which Local Authorities declare
their areas to be smoke-controlled, the ready co-operation of owners and occupiers and,
more important still, the amount of smokeless fuel available. When the provisions of
Section 8 & 9 are applied to West Ham, it is estimated very widely that some 20,000
dwellings will be dealt with. This figure is arrived at after deducting the number of
Council houses and unfit houses dealt with under Slum Clearance procedure.
The Clean Air Bill has received wide publicity, and on the whole, the comment
is favourable. There is general agreement that public opinion would be in favour of
the legislation, and that although there are many problems still to be solved, much
is being done to improve the cleanliness of the atmosphere generally. One of the most
important problems which faces the persons responsible is the production of more, and
still more, smokeless fuel.
Domestic Fires.
During the winter months the smoke emitted from flues of domestic buildings
is one of the worst, if not the worst, causes of air pollution in West Ham. To
appreciate the amount of smoke emitted from these buildings, it should be viewed from
the top of a high building during a calm day. The smoke emitted is extremely bad from
a pollution point of view, as it is emitted at low level, and this applies particularly
to the flues of the several colonies of pre-fabrlcated dwellings, as the smoke from
these buildings is emitted at an even lower level than the ordinary dwelling house.
Introducing the Clean Air Bill to the House of Commons, the Parliamentary
Secretary to the Ministry said, "The prevention of domestic smoke will be a major
operation, involving radical changes in fuel use, involving problems of supply,
large scale alterations of domestic appliances and, of course, a great degree of
public willingness. We propose that this operation should be carried through by
the gradual extension of smoke controlled areas, similar to the smokeless zones
already established In a number of towns under Local Authority powers."
One of the most important aspects of the cleaner air campaign is to draw
the attention of the public, local authorities and all others Interested to the
extensive range of modern improved fires, heating stoves, boilers and other appliances
now available to householders, which use solid fuel more efficiently and economically
than the old-fashioned types.
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