View report page

77
Places where food is prepared for sale.
The annual reports give information as to the administration of the powers conferred on sanitary
authorities by the Council's General Powers Act of 1902 for controlling the conditions under which ice
cream is prepared for sale. In one or two of the reports it is stated that as the result of administration
of the provisions of this Act there has been considerable improvement in the conditions under which
ice creams are manufactured. This trade is largely carried on by foreigners. In the City of London
of 103 small confectioners making ice cream as many as 101 were foreigners.
In the following table the numbers of these premises in the several sanitary areas, and other
particulars, are shown.

The inspection of other premises where food is prepared for sale was continued during the year
and this inspection is now part of the systematic work undertaken by the sanitary authorities. Such
places are "workplaces" within the meaning of the Factory and Workshop Act, but except in the
matter of sanitary conveniences, there were no powers applicable to these premises other than the
general provisions of the Public Health (London) Act. With a view to the better control of the conditions
under which food is prepared for sale, the Council obtained in 1908 the sanction of Parliament to provisions
relating to this subject (See page 94).
The annual reports show that there has been considerable inspection of such premises in some
districts in London, restaurants, cook-shops, fried fish shops, butchers' shops, fish shops, greengrocers'
and fruiterers' shops, tripe and sausage shops, etc., coming under supervision. Dr. Allan reports the
conviction under the provisions of the Council's General Powers Act of a man in Westminster making
sausages in the basement of a shop in which a quantity of unsound food was found ; the floor and walls
were dirty, and fluid was dropping through the ceiling from a water-closet apartment above.
21322 l