London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1926
The annual report on the health of the Borough for the year1926
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with 300 cubic feet of air space in every room used for sleeping purposes only or 400 cubic feet in
every room used for both sleeping and living purposes (in the case of a child under ten years of age
the figures are 150 and 200 cubic feet respectively). In addition, the Inspectors served Intimation
Notices where members of the two sexes over twelve years of age occupied one sleeping room
in a registered tenement house, except where they were living together as man and wife. The
Notices served bv the Inspectors were reported fortnightly to the Public Health Committee who
authorised the issue of Statutory Notices and Summonses in cases where the Intimation Notices
had not been complied with. This policy has had the effect of making many people find more
satisfactory accommodation either in or outside the Borough.
The following figures show the extent of action taken in the two years and the results obtained: —
| Overcrowding— | 1925. | 1926. |
|---|---|---|
| Service of Intimation Notices | 75 | 103 |
| Service of Statutory Notices where the Intimation Notice was not complied with | 60 | 38 |
| Summonses issued | 10 | 6 |
| Indecent Occupation— | ||
| Service of Intimation Notices | 40 | 79 |
| Service of Statutory Notices where the Intimation Notice was not complied with | 21 | 12 |
| Summonses issued | 1 | 0 |
As only 10 summonses were eventually issued in 1925 and 6 in 1926 in 178 cases of overcrowding,
and only one summons in the two years in regard to 119 cases of indecent occupation, it will
be seen that 104 families in 1925 and 176 families in 1926 were able to improve their accommodation
without the Council having to resort to extreme measures.
At the commencement of 1925 another step was adopted for the purpose of relieving cases of
overcrowding. The Public Health and Special Housing Committees arranged that immediately a
new house provided by the Council had been let, the Town Clerk should supply me with information
as to the name and address of the future tenant. This information has enabled officers of the
Public Health Department to know several weeks in advance of rooms which would become
vacant, with the result that they have been able to approach the owners of these rooms and urge
that they might be let to Kensington families known to be living under overcrowded conditions.
The results have been as follow: —
| 1925. | 1926. | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Council Houses let by Town Clerk and reported to the Medical Officer of Health | 33 | 23 |
| Number of instances in which the rooms vacated by the 56 tenants have been let to Kensington families whose previous accommodation was unsatisfactory or overcrowded | 24 | 18 |
| In 1925, the Housing Department of the London County Council commenced to send me information of all Kensington persons accepted as tenants for County Council houses in order that a similar procedure could be adopted in regard to rooms vacated by tenants leaving the Borough for such houses. This practice was continued during 1926, with the following results: — | ||
| 1925. | 1926. | |
| Number of County Council houses let and reported to the Medical Officer of Health | 41 | 30 |
| Number of instances in which the rooms vacated by the 62 tenants have been let to Kensington families whose previous accommodation was unsatisfactory or overcrowded | 21 | 12 |
STEPS TAKEN BY THE COUNCIL TO SECURE AND MAINTAIN A HIGHER STANDARD
OF HABITABILITY IN HOUSES.
Every house in the Borough is inspected in routine fashion after a case of infectious disease
has been reported therefrom and on receipt of a complaint.
The permanent Sanitary Inspectors attempt to make a routine inspection of ten houses each
month and the number of these inspections in 1926 was 1,069.
In addition to this routine work, special efforts have been made in recent years and those for
1926 may be described briefly under the following headings: —
(1) Improvements in Houses Let in Lodgings secured during the year by the Permanent and Temporary
Sanitary Inspectors.
At the time of measuring up for the purpose of registration, the Temporary Sanitary Inspectors
prepare a list of all defects found and improvements required, and issue Intimation Notices calling