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the Notification Sections of the Act are in the hands of the
City and Borough Councils, by which immediate information
is obtained of the source of infectious disease outbreaks.
The Bill, as drafted, was unnecessary, and would have tended
to over-ride and interfere with the powers at present possessed
by such City and Borough Councils. Dual control would have
led to friction as between the Local Metropolitan Authorities and
the London County Council. Fortunately, the House of Lords
took this view of the Bill, and threw out the whole of Part viii.,
dealing with the Milk Supply in relation to Infectious and Dangerous
Disease Outbreaks and Epidemics. To Lambeth Borough
Council belongs the honour of starting the opposition to the Bill,
and in this opposition they were joined by Stepney, Paddington,
St. Pancras, Southwark, Hampstead, Westminster, and other
Metropolitan Sanitary Authorities. The Commons passed the
Bill, after altering seriously the provisions of Part viii. (Milk
Clauses), and other portions of the Bill, by which, in regard to
Milk control, the sought-for powers of the London County Council
were practically rendered useless; and the Lords went further,
and ordered the crippled and mutilated Part viii. (Milk Supply)
of the Bill to be put out of its misery. Part viii. was, consequently,
thrown out by the Lords' Committee on July 7th, 1902.
The expenses borne by the various Local Sanitary Authorities
(and forced upon them) in fighting the London County Council
over an unnecessary Bill (at least, as far as Part viii. is concerned)
is unsatisfactory food for thought. It is hoped that the London
County Council has learnt its lesson, and will not endeavour to
over-ride the Sanitary Districts of London in future in connection
with powers dealing either with Milk Supplies or other matters
of sanitary administration and control. In any case, where the
London County Council asks Parliament for such increased
powers, the same powers should be at the same time asked for
for the different Metropolitan City and Borough Councils.
The expenses connected with Lambeth's opposition amounted
to £272 14s. 3d.
* Mr. Courthorpe-Munro was Counsel appearing for the Lambeth
Borough Council.