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Copies of certificates of registration, authorization and supplementary provisions, the cancellation
of or variation to certificates issued by the Minister in respect of users in the City are received and
recorded. Appropriate action is taken in respect of any special precautions so far as they relate to the
Department in connection with the conditions specified in the certificates.
Housing Acts 1957-1964—Inspectorate
At the beginning of the year, four senior Public Health Inspectors were employed in the
implementation of Part II of the Housing Act 1961 and Parts II and IV of the Housing Act 1964, i.e.
work relating to houses in multiple occupation and the compulsory improvement of dwellings.
Towards the end of the year these Inspectors carried out a survey, lasting several weeks, of
tenement blocks. This arose through a request for information from the Greater London Council.
Lists and statistics were prepared showing tenement dwellings brought up to reasonable modern
standards, those capable of being brought up to such standards, and those due for demolition.
Also, in view of the heavy commitment of the Department for slum clearance, one of these Inspectors
was transferred from work connected with the Housing Acts 1961-1964 to carry out an
inspection of the Herries Street area.
The senior Public Health Inspector who was referred to in my Report for 1965, as being responsible
for slum clearance and for departmental inspections in connection with applications for loans
for house purchase, continued with this work; but owing to its increased volume an Inspector was
transferred from district work to assist full time with inspections for loan applications.
Management Orders, Additional Amenities and Directions
During 1966 premises continued to be surveyed with a view to action under the Housing Acts
1961-1964, either by way of limiting future occupations by giving a Direction, by the service of
notices requiring the provision of additional amenities, or by improving the standard of management
by making a Management Order.
Checks on the occupation of houses for which a Direction had been given, the supervision of
notices previously served, and inspections to see that Management Orders were being complied
with, continued to occupy much of the Inspectors' time.
Control Orders
At the end of 1966 there were five control orders in operation, none having been made or revoked
during the year.
Towards the end of the year the City Council purchased one of the houses on which a control
order was operative and this order will be formally revoked in 1967.
The Housing Act 1964, under which control orders are made, provides for appeals by owners
against both the order itself and the scheme of works which must be produced when the order is
made. In 1966 one owner unsuccessfully appealed against the Council's scheme in respect of an
order made in 1965.
Housing Priority on Medical Grounds
Certificates in support of individual applications for rehousing are often received from general
practitioners or hospital consultants. All such certificates are referred to a Senior Medical Officer
for the allocation of points under the Council's scheme. There is, however, a limit to the number
of points which can be given on medical grounds, in the same way as there is a limit for points given
on the other grounds, such as overcrowding and lack of facilities, which are all taken into consideration
by the Housing Manager in allocating priority. It sometimes occurs therefore that while in the
opinion of the applicant's doctor immediate rehousing should be offered on medical grounds, this
is not possible because a low allocation of points for other aspects of the applicant's circumstances
does not give an overall priority.
The number of medical certificates in support of rehousing applications dealt with during the year
was 1,011.
Unlawful eviction, harassment and provision of rent books
The Inspectoral staff of the Health Department continued to investigate these cases upon request
by the Town Clerk and during the year made enquires in one hundred and forty-five allegations of
harassment and thirty-eight instances of the non-provision of rent books.
Unimpeachable evidence in any incident is rarely available. The stories of the landlord and the
tenant usually conflict violently and if witnesses are available their statements are often so obviously
biased as to be valueless. However, intervention by the Public Health Inspector, although only to
try to ascertain the facts, does in some cases lead to the establishment of more amicable relations
between the parties in harassment cases.