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121
Under the Regulations it is the duty of the Medical Officer of
Health to supervise and direct the preparation from time to time of
lists of dwelling-houses, the early inspection of which, in his opinion,
is desirable, and the matters in relation to which the inspection
should be made and the manner in which the records of such inspections
are to be kept are set out in the Regulations. These
records shall be considered at each of their ordinary meetings by
the Local Authority, who shall take such action as may be desirable
in each case, and the results of such action are to be added to the
records.
The annual report of the Medical Officer of Health is to contain
certain information and particulars as to the inspections and the
results.
I propose, therefore, in accordance with the duty imposed on
me under the regulations, to submit from time to time, for the consideration
of the Committee, a list or lists of houses which, in my
opinion, require to be dealt with under the provisions of Sec. 17 (1)
of the Act of 1909.
With regard to the keeping of the records as prescribed by the
Regulations, the present system of house inspection as carried out
in this Borough is recorded in book-register form, which is submitted
to the Committee at their ordinary meetings. It would
appear that this method of record is not to be superseded, provided
that it includes all the matters mentioned in that part of the
Regulations dealing with the keeping of records under Sec. 17 (1)
of the Act of 1909. I am giving this matter careful consideration,
and as it will be necessary to revise the present house inspection
registers so as to make them conform to the requirements of the
order, it would seem to me that this would most conveniently be
carried out by adopting a more concise register to take the place of
the present unwieldy book system.
Another matter to which the Committee will find it necessary
to give their early attention in connection with this Order is that
dealing with underground rooms (cellar dwellings). The provisions
of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, giving power
to sanitary authorities in regard to these premises, have proved
ineffective, owing to the exemption clause. Under the provisions of
Sec. 17, Sub-sec. 7 of the Housing and Town Planning Act such
rooms, if habitually used as sleeping rooms shall be deemed dwellinghouses
unfit for human habitation, unless they conform to certain
conditions, and as such are liable to have Closing Orders made in
regard to them. Thus, a room used as a sleeping place the surface
of the floor of which is more than 3ft. below the surface of that part