County Borough Research Articles

Elected Representatives in a Party System: A Typology

In the widespread complaints about the prevalence of party influence in local government there is a recognizable stereotyping of local politicians and parties which is a caricature of the complex reality. The purposes of this paper are to question the validity of the stereotypes and to suggest the abandonment of simplistic categories in favour of categories which go some way at least towards recognizing the complex variables which shape the role-playing of elected members. What follows is based on a ten year period of participant-based research in an urban county borough council. Material from this specific study was supplemented by participant observation in a new county council and by observation-based research in two other boroughs. Participant research is a technique which creates a number of problems, the most formidable being that the researcher is a ‘partisan’ role-player in the ongoing local authority activities. In Halifax (the first-mentioned urban authority) this was not a great problem because the context was influenced by a three-party system in which the ongoing decisionmaking was tripartite and, indeed, occasionally multi-partite.

Spatial Variations in Level of Living in England and Wales in 1961

Despite a widespread interest in the search for and use of social indicators and a growing awareness of the problems and injustices of regional disparities in social welfare and economic health in England and Wales, the concept of level of living has been largely overlooked as a vehicle for research in these fields. The major aims of the paper are to determine, describe and classify spatial variations in level of living in England and Wales in I961. A definition of the concept of level of living applicable to the date and location of the study is formulated, and the concept is measured, indirectly, by a set of 53 variables. The major dimensions of level of living are established and analysed through the use of principal components analysis, and an overall measure of the concept is constructed from 'diagnostic' variables selected on the basis of a knowledge of the component structure. This is complemented by a typology of counties and county boroughs based on the diagnostic variables and derived from a cluster analysis and multiple discriminant analysis of their data. NATIONAL and regional well-being in western societies has traditionally been assessed by reference to income levels, together with rates of unemployment, demographic growth and industrial growth. Recently, however, there has been an increasing awareness that these indicators may reflect only some of the elements of prosperity, welfare and opportunity relevant to the quality of life in such societies, implying that any satisfactory examination of relative wellbeing should also consider aspects of socio-economic health and social welfare. Indicators of national social conditions are in fact currently being developed both in Britain and the United States, in an attempt to provide social statistics comparable in scope and accuracy with existing series of economic statistics. The ultimate aim is to develop a set of social indicators which could be related to national economic policy in much the same way as economic indicators such as the cost of living index have been developed in order to help guide national economic policy (Bauer, 1966; Moser, 1971). At the regional level, less progress has been made towards measuring variations in social conditions. In Britain, the examination of regional disparities was, until the mid-196os, based largely on a consideration of the more immediately apparent variations in unemployment, migration, and money income (Holmans, I965; Self, I965; Thirlwall, I966). Among the first to note more widespread socio-economic disparities were Coates and Rawstron (1966), who have recently emphasized the lack of an existing framework for the systematic measurement of socio-economic conditions within Britain (Coates and Rawstron, 197I). This desire for a greater knowledge of regional variations in social welfare (in its widest sense) is not without precedent. In 1970, for example, Chisholm suggested the compilation of a social atlas of Great Britain, dealing with subjects such as the availability of medical services, rates of crime, educational provision and achievement, and the use of State and local authority welfare services (Chisholm, 1970). In view of the widespread interest in the search for social indicators and a growing concern for the problems and injustices of regional disparities in social welfare, it is somewhat surprising that research workers in these fields have almost entirely overlooked the concept of level of living. Throughout a long doctrinal history in economics and sociology, level of living has been regarded This content downloaded from 157.55.39.211 on Mon, 08 Aug 2016 06:05:21 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms

Assessment of pre-school children in the county Borough of Southend-on-Sea.

Assessment of pre-school children in the county Borough of Southend-on-Sea.

British Food Journal Volume 76 Issue 2 1974

The large, all‐purpose local authorities established by the Local Government Re‐organization Act, 1972, for England and Wales—Scottish local government re‐organization is yet to be completed—are operative; members have long since been elected and organization and staffing, if not complete, at least ready to commence. It is certainly the greatest upheaval since urban and rural sanitary authorities were set up about the middle of the last century. The last change of any magnitude was in 1934; small, however, compared with 1974. At that time, there were 62 county councils, 83 county boroughs and nearly 300 municipal boroughs, 29 metropolitan boroughs, more than 600 urban and about 500 rural districts; roughly 1,600 local authorities. The tremendous reduction in authorities by the present re‐organization illustrates the extent of the upheaval.

An Anti-Labour Caucus: The Case of the Northumberland Voters’ Association

W. P. Grant has drawn attention to the lack of empirical study of local parties in British local government. He also draws a distinction between ‘genuine’ local parties and ‘concealed Conservative’ parties, and concentrates his attention on the former. He defines ‘concealed Conservative parties’ as those which are not prepared to fight an electoral contest against a Conservative candidate, and includes under this heading ‘Citizen’ and ‘Progressive’ parties. The framework for analysis which his article develops is confined to the ‘genuine’ local parties on this definition, which, while convenient, is not as reliable as first appears. English and Scottish local government contain several examples of what might better be described as ‘anti-Labour caucuses’ in the form of groups or alliances which have been prepared to fight against Conservative candidates when these have opposed them. J. H. R. Robbins, in a brief account of the Doncaster Progressives, has pointed out the limitations of Grant’s definition where such groups face opposition from renegade or ward-backed Conservatives. There are several such groups which need to be separately categorised; surprisingly they have received even less academic study than the ‘genuine’ local parties, although they hold or have held power in many county boroughs, county councils and Scottish cities.

Suicide in England and Wales 1959-63. 2. London.

SynopsisSuicide deaths by age and sex have been examined in 28 London boroughs for the period 1959–63. In contrast with the findings in 82 county boroughs, the relationships between suicide and 18 other variables did not differ greatly for the sexes. In old age, as in the previous investigation, most of the variables having high correlations with suicide rates tended to disappear. Loneliness and ill-health were probably more important determinants of suicide rates in the elderly than other environmental or personal attributes. The finding that the distribution of suicide in London has not changed much in 40 years implies a need for the development of services to combat this problem in boroughs where suicide is particularly high.

Suicide in England and Wales 1959-63. 1. The county boroughs.

SYNOPSISA five-year sample of suicide deaths in 82 county boroughs in England and Wales has been examined according to the age and sex of the victims. A number of demographic and other factors were chosen to test out the hypothesis that male suicides were more likely to be associated with other forms of violent death in the community and that female suicides would correlate with a number of variables measuring aspects of sociosexual life. In old age it was postulated that mental and physical illness would outweigh any environmental factors—apart from social isolation—as contributory causes to suicide by both sexes. The fmdings give limited support to the original hypothesis which needs to be checked by a sociomedical investigation of as many suicides as possible in a large number of towns.

Mortality from cancer and cardiovascular diseases in the county boroughs of England and Wales classified according to the sources and hardness of their water supplies, 1958-1967.

Relative rates of proportionate mortality from cancer of six sites based on total cancer deaths and the proportions expected in all towns, and from four types of cardiovascular disease based on total deaths from all causes, have been related in the 80 county boroughs of England and Wales to the sources of water supply and to the average hardness of water in the towns. The sources of water, from upland surfaces, artesian wells and rivers, were classified in eight groups, and significant associations were found for cancers of the stomach, oesophagus, prostate, male bladder and female breast, and for hypertensive and chronic rheumatic heart disease. No associations were apparent with intestinal cancer, vascular disease of the nervous system or arteriosclerotic heart disease. Hardness or softness of the water was classified in seven groups and significant associations were found for the same diseases as for source of water, none being evident for coronary disease.

Suicide in Brighton.

The County Borough of Brighton is a seaside town with a population at the 1971 census of 166,081. This population has fluctuated only slightly. In 1951, the total population was 156,486; in 1961 it was 163,159; in 1966 it was 159,510. Brighton's population contains a large percentage of elderly people; in 1966 there were 25 · 7 per cent of the population over the age of 60, and 18 · 8 per cent were over 65 years old, compared with 18 per cent over 60, and 12 per cent over 65 for England and Wales.

Book Reviews : By Chance or By Design? An evaluation of a teaching programme on Breast Self-examination in Birkenhead County Borough, by Patricia Hobbs, H.V.CERT., D.A.E., M.I.H.E., F.R.S.H. 52pp. MERSEYSIDE CANCER EDUCATION COMMITTEE. Liverpool, 1971. 50p

Book Reviews : By Chance or By Design? An evaluation of a teaching programme on Breast Self-examination in Birkenhead County Borough, by Patricia Hobbs, H.V.CERT., D.A.E., M.I.H.E., F.R.S.H. 52pp. MERSEYSIDE CANCER EDUCATION COMMITTEE. Liverpool, 1971. 50p

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MORTALITY FROM ISCHÆMIC HEART-DISEASE AND RAINFALL IN SOUTH WALES AND IN THE COUNTY BOROUGHS OF ENGLAND AND WALES

The mortality from ischæmic heart-disease (I.H.D.) amongst fifty local-authority areas in South Wales and fifty-eight county boroughs in England and Wales was closely associated with average annual rainfall. Partial correlation in relation to I.H.D., with respect to rainfall and water hardness only, suggests that the reported association between I.H.D. and water hardness is a secondary (non-causal) one.

INFANT MORTALITY AND HARDNESS OF LOCAL WATER SUPPLIES

In the large county boroughs of England and Wales the softer the drinking-water and the less calcium it contains, the higher the infant death rate. A multiple regression study demonstrates that, after the well-known associations of infant mortality with social factors and latitude have been allowed for, water calcium is an important factor in "explaining" the differences between the infant death rates of these town, but not between their stillbirth-rates. Differences between the towns in the proportions of births to mothers who have already had three or more children appear to explain a large part of the modern relationship of social factors with infant mortality, but not the association with water calcium. Anencephaly is also inversely associated with the water minerals in the towns studied; but the correlation is small.

Urban variation in infant mortality from birth injury and atelectasis in England and Wales in 1958-67.

Variations in mortality attributed to birth injury and atelectasis in the 10 years 1958-67 have been investigated for each county borough of England and Wales. It became evident that diagnostic difficulties in separating these two causes must have been such that for statistical purposes they should be combined in a single rate.Variables likely to affect the local rates such as the sex ratio of births, and rates of illegitimacy and immaturity as an ill-defined cause of death appeared to affect the mortality levels in certain towns but not sufficiently to account for the wide variations apparent in those levels. It is concluded that local surveys are necessary in the towns with highest rates to uncover differences in numbers of births in hospital, in obstetric techniques and in quality of medical care.

Some Social and Political Correlates of County Borough Expenditures: A Comment

James E. Alt ('Some Social and Political Correlates of County Borough Expenditures’ in British Journal of Political Science No. I, pp. 49–62) gives as his reasons for choosing to study county boroughs, ‘not only because of the fact that they are urban centres, the uniformity of their electoral procedure, the high level of competition (on terms of contested seats), their financial independence from other local authorities, and their service omnicompetence’. This is a standard explanation for the predominance in research on local government of the county borough to the neglect of other authorities. One positive gain of re-organization may be that future research will give a more rounded picture of local government performance and practice.I am grateful to Mr. Brown for quoting enough of my correspondence to necessitate my writing rather little at this point. A great deal of research done on the American states suggests that such variables as party control of legislatures do not explain variations in spending very well. In Britain the assumption is frequently made that each local authority has so many unique features that to attempt to make broad-scale comparisons is either useless or impossible. My article was written to suggest that neither of these notions should be applied uncritically, at least to some services provided by English and Welsh county boroughs.

Allegiance Among English Children: A Dissent

England has long been fertile ground for scholars (usually American) concerned to locate the antecedents of stable and democratic government. More often than not they have stressed a particular configuration of attitudes as a basic support for such government. Evaluation of the consequences for the political system of these attitudes has frequently proceeded along very inferential and impressionistic lines, and has resulted in a benign view of the British political system.James E. Alt ('Some Social and Political Correlates of County Borough Expenditures’ in British Journal of Political Science No. I, pp. 49–62) gives as his reasons for choosing to study county boroughs, ‘not only because of the fact that they are urban centres, the uniformity of their electoral procedure, the high level of competition (on terms of contested seats), their financial independence from other local authorities, and their service omnicompetence’. This is a standard explanation for the predominance in research on local government of the county borough to the neglect of other authorities. One positive gain of re-organization may be that future research will give a more rounded picture of local government performance and practice.

Rejoinder

I am grateful to Mr. Brown for quoting enough of my correspondence to necessitate my writing rather little at this point. A great deal of research done on the American states suggests that such variables as party control of legislatures do not explain variations in spending very well. In Britain the assumption is frequently made that each local authority has so many unique features that to attempt to make broad-scale comparisons is either useless or impossible. My article was written to suggest that neither of these notions should be applied uncritically, at least to some services provided by English and Welsh county boroughs.

Vaccination against rubella of susceptible schoolgirls in Reading.

This study of 724 13-year-old schoolgirls in the County Borough of Reading showed that approximately 25% were susceptible to rubella. 96.1% of the 129 seronegative girls and significant numbers of girls with low rubella HAI antibody titres responded to subcutaneous vaccination with Wistar RA. 27/3 rubella vaccine. The incidence of most reactions after vaccination was similar in those who responded to vaccine and those who were initially immune but did not develop rising antibody titres, but rash, lymphadenopathy and headache occurred significantly more frequently in the susceptible group.

Multiple sclerosis distribution in England and Wales and parts of Europe.

Scotland and Ireland have the highest death rates from multiple sclerosis and high rates are recorded in an area extending south-eastward from Britain through central Europe. The rates tend to diminish with rising latitude and longitude. In England and Wales the county boroughs with notably high rates during 1958-67 were mostly textile towns with cotton and wool mills, situated in the area recording the lowest average levels of sunshine. In the London area mortality from multiple sclerosis was high in those western boroughs and adjacent counties most exposed to the noise of aircraft using the airports of London. The geographical pattern in England suggests that noise and vibration of particular kinds may be a factor in causation along with a climatic factor, but this hypothesis is speculative until further evidence is found to support it.

CHANGES IN WATER HARDNESS AND LOCAL DEATH-RATES

Changes in the death-rates of eleven county boroughs of England and Wales where the hardness of the water supply has been substantially changed (for a variety of reasons) during the previous thirty or so years have been studied. In general, cardiovascular death-rates showed a favourable effect in the towns where water had become harder and an unfavourable effect in the towns where water had become softer; this was not so for non-cardiovascular rates.

Malformations of Central Nervous System and Softness of Local Water Supplies

The mean annual prevalence at birth of congenital malformations of the central nervous system for the three years 1964-6 in 48 local authority areas in South Wales was negatively correlated (r = -0.402, P<0.01) with estimates of the mean total hardness of the related water supplies.The mean annual perinatal mortality rate from anencephalus for the five years 1963-7 in 58 county boroughs in England and Wales was also negatively correlated with estimates of the mean total hardness (r = -0.220, P>0.05) and calcium content (r = -0.289, P<0.05) of the related water supplies.It is concluded that the relationship between these associations may well be secondary. Analytical epidemiological studies of the association are called for.