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Welfare Foods.—Under the Welfare (Foods) Scheme of the Ministry of Food the following vitamin
supplements are available:—
Orange juice (6 oz. bottles at 5d. per bottle)— .
Expectant Mothers 1 bottle per 9 days
Babies under 6 months 1 bottle per 4 weeks
Children aged between 6 months and 5 years 1 bottle per 2 weeks
Cod Liver Oil compound (6 oz. bottles, free)—
Expectant Mothers (not taking Vit. A. & D. tablets) 1 bottle per 6 weeks
Children under 5 years 1 bottle per 6 weeks
Vitamin A and D tablets (45 in packet, free)—
Expectant mothers (as alternative to cod liver oil) 1 packet per 6 weeks
Nursing mothers 1 packet per 6 weeks for 30
weeks after confinement
It is possible to calculate what the average weekly consumption of these welfare foods should be if
full advantage was taken of the scheme. The actual issues in the Borough expressed as a percentage of
the possible issue during certain periods of 1951 are shown below:—
Orange juice Cod Liver oil A and D Tablets
13 weeks to 24/2/51 42% 35% 40%
13 weeks to 26/5/51 42% 33% 40%
13 weeks to 25/8/51 51% 28% 39%
As these vitamin preparations can be obtained at the Food Office and on fifteen occasions weekly
at seven other premises, to describe the above figures merely as disappointing would be an under-statement.
On all and every occasion so many are ready to complain of the inadequacy of our diet yet so few seem to
be willing to make the small effort required to collect for themselves or their children these vitamin supplements
which are provided to counteract one possible deficiency in our diet.
HOUSING

Action in regard to slum clearance and sub-standard houses continues to be postponed as far as is
possible, but this delaying tactic brings its own problems. Action under the Housing Acts is governed by
"reasonable" cost and this, with rents static and costs soaring, is very difficult to assess. Care has to be
exercised in deciding whether action under the repair and demolition sections of the Housing Acts or under
the nuisance sections of the Public Health Act is appropriate. The department tries to hold the balance
evenly. Three appeals against notices under Section 9 of the Housing Act, 1936, were made but before a
date was fixed for the hearing schedules of work were agreed and the appeals withdrawn. A summary
of the action taken during the year is given below:—
Houses inspected 414
Defective houses rendered fit in consequence of informal action 364
Defective houses rendered fit in consequence of statutory action 47
Houses in respect of which Demolition Orders were made 1
Houses demolished in pursuance of Demolition Orders 3
Houses in respect of which undertakings not to re-let accepted
Houses demolished where undertakings had been given 6
Houses rendered fit in consequence of undertaking given by owner 3
Houses in respect of part of which Closing Orders were made
Houses known to be overcrowded (Housing Act Standard) at end of year 129
New cases of overcrowding reported 25
Cases of overcrowding relieved during the year 31
Certificates issued under Section 12 of the Rent and Mortgage Interest Restriction (Amendment)
Act, 1923 -
22