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Walls and ceilings repaired or cleansed 51
Floors repaired 5
Premises cleansed 9
Protection of foodstuffs enforced 5
Equipment repaired or improved 14
Offensive accumulations removed 6
Nuisances abated and other action 11
Food Stores provided, improved or cleansed 6
Lighting improved 1
While well designed and equipped premises are important, they only fulfil their
real purpose when associated with hygienic habits in their users. Man in the source
of most food infections and if he desires clean food he must practice personal hygiene
If every mother obeyed in her kitchen the same rules she wishes to see obeyed in shops
and restaurants and brought up her family to obey these rules instinctively, it would
mean much for the future These children will not only be the housewives of the
future, but also the future cooks and food handlers. Schools are doing something to
teach children to treat food as it should be treated, but the best place for children
to be introduced to hygienic habits is at home, where they should be part of the
child's natural background.
There is a wide field of consumer's choice as far as food shops and catering
premises are concerned. If the public make their choice with firmness and discretion
the trade will respond and the number of complaints would decrease.
NUTRITION - Under the Welfare (Foods) Scheme of the Ministry of Food, vitamin
supplements are available free or at low cost to expectant and nursing mothers and to
children under the age of five years. The distribution of these welfare foods is
now the responsibility of the local health authorities. Though this now links the
scheme closely with the maternity and child welfare services, the use made of these
facilities by mothers is still below expectation.
Milk is available free to all school children. Meals at a low cost, or free if
the family circumstances warrant it, are provided at all schools maintained by the
Education Authority. Checks made by the Education Department at various times show,
as under, the extent to which advantage is taken of these facilities:-
No. of
pupils
present
%
taking
milk
%
taking
meals
February, 1952
12,291
79.7
54.4
June, 1952
12,410
83.9
51.7
October. 1952
13,062
81.8
53.3
June, 1953
12,954
83.5
44.6
October, 1953
13,375
83.2
45.8
June, 1954
12,943
83.4
44.3
October, 1954
13,743
81.2
47.2
September, 1955
13,633
82.4
50.0
Gross malnutrition is not seen in this country now , though no doubt there is still
much nutritional defect of a lesser degree. Quantity of food is not the only consideration
in maintaining a good level of nutrition. A careful selection of essential
foods in balanced proportions is important and now that adequate supplies are
available the temptation to consume carbohydrates and fats rather than body building
foods should be watched, especially in children.
HOUSING
Shortage of houses continues to be one of our social problems. The compulsory
and prolonged sharing of houses by families causes physical discomfort, but also leads
to frustration and discontent. Scarcity of separate accommodation makes the start
of family life difficult for the unmarried and the bearing and rearing of children
difficult for the married.
A house is not fulfilling its true social purpose unless
it is also a home and it can seldom be a home if occupied by more than one family.
The numbers of new houses erected in the Borough in recent years is shown below:-
1946-51
1952
1953
1954
1955
Heston and Isleworth B,C.
1001
162
117
23
217
Brentford and Chiswick B.C.
34
-
-
-
-
Southall B.C.
64
-
-
-
-
Middlesex County Council
4
-
-
-
1
Ministry of Civil Aviation
77
-
-
-
-
Metropolitan Police
12
6
-
11
Prison Commissioners
-
-
-
8
10
25