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Saint Pancras, London.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
Vestry Hall,
Pancras Road, N.W.,
13th January, 1897.
To the Chairman and Members of the Health Committee
of St. Pancras Vestry.
Mr. Chairman, Madam, and Gentlemen,
In accordance with the resolution of your Committee referring to me
the Report by the Medical Officer of Health of the London County Council,
presenting report by one of the Assistant Medical Officers of Health, as to
the operation of By-laws dealing with houses let in lodgings in London,
and with the further resolution referring to me the circular letter, since
received from the Clerk of the London County Council, enclosing an extract
from a report of the Public Health Committee agreed to by the County
Council on the 1st December, 1896, I beg to report as follows:—
On the 1st December, 1896, the London County Council resolved—
(a) That the Medical Officer be instructed to make a further inquiry
at Midsummer, 1897, as to the extent to which By-laws or regulations
dealing with houses let in lodgings are enforced in the
several Sanitary Districts of London, with a view to the Council
making a representation to the Local Government Board under
vSection 101 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, in the case
of any Sanitary Authority which is not by that time carrying out
the provisions of Section 94 of the Act.
(b) That a copy of this report, and of the Council's resolution thereon,
be sent to each of the London Sanitary Authorities.
By the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, Section 94 (1), every Sanitary
Authority shall make and enforce such By-laws as are requisite for the following
matters (that is to say)—(a), fixing the number cf persons who may
occupy a house, or part of a house, which is let in lodgings or occupied by
members of more than one family, and for the separation of the sexes in a
house so let or occupied; (6), for the registration of houses so let or occupied;
(c), for the inspection of such houses; (d), for enforcing drainage for such
houses, and for promoting cleanliness and ventilation in such houses; (e), for
the cleansing and lime-washing at stated times of the premises; (f), for
taking of precautions in case of any infectious disease. (2) This section
shall not apply to common lodging-houses within the Common Lodging Houses
Act, 1851, or any Act amending the same.
By Section 100 the County Council, on it being proved to their satisfaction
that any Sanitary Authority have made default in doing their duty under this
Act with respect to the removal of any nuisance, the institution of any proceedings,
or the enforcement of any By-laws, may institute any proceeding
and do any act which the Authority might have instituted or done for that
purpose, and shall be entitled to recover from the Sanitary Authority in
default all such expenses in and about the said proceeding or act as the County
Council incur, and are not recovered from any other person, and have not
been incurred in any unsuccessful proceedings.