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4
Atmospheric Pollution In the phased programme for Smoke Control Areas, two
further Orders were made. Orders numbered 6 and 7 were confirmed, and Order
No. 8 was awaiting confirmation at the end of the year. The Ministry's
Circular 69/63 altered considerably certain aspects of Staoke Control. Hie
Circular, if implemented, might raise the cost to the authority considerably,
and has been the subject of discussion at various meetings at which fuel
producers have been represented.
Public Health Inspection Staff The establishment now stands at 24, as a
result of the Council s adoption of the Establishment and General Purposes
Committee's recommendation that the Public Health Inspectorate be increased by
four to deal with the Housing Act, 1961. There has been some change in
personnel but we have been unable to get enough Inspectors to take us to full
establishment. One Pupil qualified, and there were five in training at the
end of the year.
Welfare of Aged Persons The Chalfonts Holiday Hotel at Bognor Regis continued
to provide a very much appreciated service for the older people of the Borough.
The need was such that when the house adjoining the Hotel came on the market
the Council decided to acquire it with a view to extending the Hotel At the
end of the year works of adaptation and conversion were put in hand, and the
extension was opened in April 1964. The number of guests who can be acoommo
dated has been increased from 20 to 34 The number of people who have visited
Chalfonts during the year was 819, giving a total of 2 519 persons accommodated
at the Hotel since it was opened in 1961. The Council further extended its
Meals on Wheels service and by the end of the year three vans were operating
each capable of carrying 50 complete meals The number of meals served by
the department was 27 671.
New Legislation The following two major legislative measures received the
Royal Assent during 1963. The London Government Act which gives effect to
the recommendations made by the Royal Commission on London Government comes
into full operation on the 1st April 1965 and will completely change the face
of London Government as it exists today So far as this department is
concerned the main effects will be the merging of the Environmental Health
Services now carried out by the Hackney, Shoreditch and Stoke Newington Borou^i
Councils with the Personal Health Services of Division 4 of the London County
Council. These latter will include health centres care of mothers and young
children, midwifery, health visiting, home nursing.vaccination and immunisation
prevention of illness, (e. g tuberculosis), care and after care of sick and
mentally defective, domestic help and school health service, and at the time
of writing a great deal of effort is being devoted to planning the new Health
Department
Officers, Shops and Railway Premises Act. This Act, which is dealt with
in some detail in the appropriate section of the report, places upon the
Council the obligation to register, with certain exceptions all offices and
shops. The Council also becomes responsible for enforcing the provisions for
securing the health, safety and welfare of persons employed in offices and
shop premises
The turnover in staff during the year within the department was small
whilst the department was geared to current legislation, there was always the
thought in mind of the reorganisation of London government,
Mr Potter, the department s Chief Administrative Assistant, who for so
many years has given valuable service and who bore many of the administrative
duties of Chalfonts retired from the service of the department. I would
wish to express my own gratitude to Mr. Potter for the time during which I
worked with him and also that of the department in general, who much appre
ciated his guidance and advice.