Annual Report of the Council for 1982

82 Presented ar the Annual General Meeting of tbe Association at New College, Oxford, on SaturdaY, 16 APril 1983 Consumers are increasingiy aware that a variety of legislation exists to protect their rights as purchasers as well as their individual health and safety Respons- itiiity fir puoiic protectioo rests with the local authorities, and with it the l1eed to piovide adequite scientiflc services, essential to the generation of the evi- dence on which much of the successful discharge of this duty depends These scientific services deal with a range of problems ftom food to air pollution, hazardous waste to toys and swimming pool water, and their provision requires considerable skill and experience. All of this has grown from statutory pror i sions made over I00 years ago under which local authorities appointed experts to undertake the scientiflc investigation and analysis of food for the protection of the public from the malpractices of the day. Current legislation the Food and Drugs Act l955-continues this provision and the experts are still called public analysts, which accounts for the title of this Annual Report a d some of the matters it covers. Changing Demands These mean th