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Parallel with this, for the first time since the war, the Minister
redirected attention to the necessity for repairing, improving or
demolishing substandard dwellings and legislation was prepared
for encouraging both these methods of approaching the housing
problem.
The Chief Sanitary Inspector writes:- "The 'repairs increase'
provisions, envisaged in the Housing Repairs and Rents Bill,
should encourage owners of basically sound properties to keep
them in good condition given a fair rent, and greater use of the
grant provisions of the Housing Act, 1949 as amended by the
Bill, could be the means of prolonging the life of a good many
houses at present lacking the amenities of more modern dwellings.
Although the general standard of housing in the District is
above the average throughout the country, there are quite a
number of properties that would benefit by the pursuance of an
active and progressive policy on the lines indicated by all concerned".
As this next stage in tackling the housing problem is entered
upon it may be desirable to stress two aspects from the point of
view of the Health Service. Hitherto it has been appreciated
that rehousing can be justified for a wide variety of social reasons
and the claim for priority on health grounds has not been pressed
as it has been in most districts. With the serious limitation in the
number of new housing units likely to become available in future,
however, it is submitted that the degree to which the health of the
applicants' family will suffer if not rehoused is a paramount
question, and more use might well be made of the knowledge and
experience of the officers in the Health Department, whose advice
is always readily available, when considering this matter.
The other point it is felt desirable to emphasise is the undesirability
of encouraging would-be tenants to accept a heavier
financial responsibility for their accommodation than they can
afford and this applies, of course, particularly to house purchase,
although the shorter term responsibility for a heavy rental may
also have serious repercussions. It is well recognised that other
forms of improvidence and especially excessive hire purchase of
furniture, etc. can produce similar repercussions but as Local
Authorities have more direct influence on housing it may be well
to stress the chain of undesirable sequelae, including the illhealth
of the family, which too often follow the ill advised distribution
of the family's economic resources.
WATER SUPPLY.
The water supply of the District was, as in previous years,
provided by the Sutton District Water Company and the East
Surrey Water Company, with a private supply supplementing, as
necessary, at Cane Hill Hospital.
Routine samples of the treated water in public supply were
submitted quarterly for bacteriological and chemical examination,
and this year two further samples were obtained, one being submitted
to each of these examinations.
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