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42
MINISTRY OF FOOD RAT ORDER, 1918.
In accordance with a request made by your Worshipful Committee to the Ministry
of Food, an Order amending the Rats Order, 1918, and dated 26th March, 1919, was
made by the Food Controller under the Defence of the Realm Regulations. By this
amendment the expression " Local Authority " was altered to include Port Sanitary
Authorities, as follows :—
For the purpose of this Order, the expression " Local Authority " shall mean :—
(a) As regards England and Wales, the County Council, the Mayor, Aldermen
and Commons of the City of London in Common Council assembled, the
Council of a County Borough, or the Port Sanitary Authority of a Port
Sanitary District.
(b) As regards Scotland, a County Council, Town Council, or the Port Local
Authority of a Port Local Authority District,
The expressions " Port Sanitary District " and " Port Local Authority District "
shall mean any port or part of a port for which a Port Sanitary Authority or a Port
Local Authority has been constituted under the Public Health Acts including the Public
Health (London) Act, 1891, and any such Port Sanitary District or Port Local AuthorityDistrict
shall form no part of any Administrative County, County Borough or Burgh.
The City of London shall form no part of any Administrative County.
The provisions of this Order shall apply to every vessel lying in any water within
any Port Sanitary District or Port Local Authority District in like manner, as nearly
as may be, as if it were a building.
Formerly the expression " Local Authority " meant as regards England and
Wales, a County Council or the Council of a County Borough; and, as regards
Scotland, a County Council or a Town Council, and mention was not made of Port
Sanitary Authorities or ships.
The matter of the Rat Orders was brought forward by your Medical Officer at a
meeting of the Associated Port Sanitary Authorities on the 28th June.
The following letter and enquiry were sent to all Port Medical Officers in
England :—•
2nd July, 1919.
Dear Sir,
DEFENCE OF THE BEALM.
MINISTRY OF FOOD RAT ORDER, 1918.
Order Amending the Rat Order, 1918, Dated 26th March, 1919.
At a meeting of the Association of Port Sanitary Authorities held on Friday, 28th June,
1919, the subject of utilisation on shipboard of the Amended Rat Order (March, 1919) of the
Ministry of Food, by Port Sanitary Authorities as Local Authorities under the Order, was
discussed.
Under the Order the disinfestation of rat-ridden ships is the duty of the owners and masters
and is carried out at their expense. The powers of the Port Sanitary Authorities are those of
examination as to rattiness, ordering of disinfestation, supervision of disinfestation and,
in contingency, execution of the work, the expense in this being recoverable.
It seemed good to a committee constituted by the Port Medical Officers of Health then
present, that the views of Port Medical Officers should be obtained on several points in order
that action might have that uniformity which is desirable in the interests of Sanitary Authorities,
Port Authorities and Shipping.
Deputed by this committee I beg to lay before you the enclosed enquiry for your kind
consideration and answers.
Yours faithfully,
(Signed) W. M. WILLOUGHBY,
Medical Officer of Health,
Port of London.
ENQUIRY.
Principles
I.—Does the Order convey useful powers over and above those of any other Order hitherto
issued for the purpose of ship disinfestation?
II.—Should the powers and facilities of this Ministry of Food Order be rendered permanent
in some form as a Public Health measure of sanitation rather than of food preservation?
Practice :—
III.—Are trapping and poisoning satisfactory methods of disinfestation of ships? Can
these be considered as more than palliative measures?
IV.—Is fumigation of a ship when empty of cargo the most satisfactory method of
disinfestation?