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stated that whilst they were unable to undertake to give details of every single delivery to
establishments in the Borough a watch was kept on deliveries and should there be any significant
change the Medical Officer of Health would be informed.
In October, 1959 the Ministry of Housing and Local Government issued a Memorandum to
all local authorities summarising the action the Government were taking in connection with radioactivity.
Dealing with monitoring it advised that arrangements had been approved under which
the Agricultural Research Council was responsible for monitoring soil, herbage, farm animals,
and milk and other foods, and the Medical Research Council for measurements of radioactivity as
affecting man. The Atomic Energy Authority retained responsibility for the analysis of radioactivity
in air and rainwater, and this Authority, in conjunction with the Ministry of Housing and
Local Government, also measured the activity in selected sources of drinking water. A joint
Committee of the Agricultural and Medical Research Councils and the Development Commission
supervises the monitoring programme.
National and local surveys now being undertaken involve the annua] collection of several
thousand samples of milk, water, green vegetables, potatoes and flour.
In a circular letter to medical officers of health, Sir John Charles, chief medical officer to
the Ministry of Health, stated it was largely because of the extent of these arrangements that
the Ministers concerned have said that they see little advantage in widespread monitoring by
local authorities.
Further it has sometimes been argued that, whatever the Government may be doing to watch
the national situation, local authorities have a duty to their residents to make sure there is no
local hazard. I doubt if this is a truly valid distinction, at any rate in relation to fall-out. Such
levels of contamination as there is reason to think exist are too low to be detected except by
complicated apparatus and highly refined analysis, and the level in any one sample is in most
cases very small in comparison with the comparable radioactivity from elements naturally
present in the sample. The standards by which levels of radioactivity from fall-out" are
judged are those whichhave been recommended by national and international research organisations
as acceptable for continuous consumption over a whole lifetime of seventy years. A level at
which it would seem desirable to withdraw a product from consumption over a short term would
be so many thousands of times higher that, so long as the present low average levels persist,
there can hardly be presumed to exist the possibility of local contamination of food within the
meaning of the Food and Drugs Act, such as might justify local monitoring on this account.
HOUSING
It is difficult to define, in measurable terms, the effect on health and well being of
unsatisfactory housing conditions. What contributes to making housing conditions unsatisfactory
include such matters as structural unfitness, overcrowding and lack of amenities.
Nothing can be more frustrating to the occupier of a bad house than the continuous battle
to be waged in keeping it in a reasonably habitable condition. Inadequate facilities, and lack
of amenities play their part in adding to this difficulty and where overcrowding exists the
problem is even greater.
One could cite numerous cases of parents becoming embittered because the children are
ashamed to bring home their friends. Irritability becomes the keynote in such households'