View report page

89
PROPOSED PUBLIC HEALTH LEGISLATION, SESSION 1908.
A communication was received from the County Council asking the Council to furnish them
with their views on the subject of legislation to be promoted during the Session of 1908, the subjects
mentioned being as follows:—
(a) To enable the sanitary authorities in London to refuse to register, or to remove
from the register, cowkeepers, dairymen, or purveyors of milk whose premises are unsuitable
for the sale of milk thereon.
(b) To regulate the sanitary conditions prevailing at premises on which food is sold
or prepared for sale.
(c) To enable sanitary authorities to require the surrender, for the purposes of
destruction, of unsound food.
(d) To enable sanitary authorities to require the surrender of offensive trade refuse,
and to arrange for the temporary storage and systematic removal thereof.
(e) To enable the Council to make by-laws, to be enforced by sanitary authorities,
with regard to the proper regulation of the businesses of a seller of fried fish, fish curer,
and marine store dealer.
(f) To enable the Council to pay one-half of the salaries of Female Health Visitors
appointed by sanitary authorities in London.
The communication in question was referred to the Infectious Diseases sub-Committee, to
which I reported recommending:—
(1) Acquiescence with the views of the County Council as to the desirability of representing
to the Local Government Board the necessity for the promotion of general legislation
to secure efficient inspection of dairies and cowhouses throughout the country as the
best means for obtaining for London a pure milk supply.
(2) That sanitary authorities should have power to refuse to register, and power to disregister
occupiers of premises unsuitable for the sale of milk thereon.
[This proposal was in harmony with the views of the Public Health Committee; but
the Public Health Committee of the County Council thought the object sought could bo
obtained by an amendment of the Dairies Order of 1885, which was expected ere long.]
(3) That it is desirable power should be given to regulate the sanitary conditions at
premises on which food is sold or prepared for sale, on the lines of a clause which had been,
withdrawn from the County Council's (General Powers) Bill of 1904.
(4) That probably no necessity existed for legislation to enable sanitary authorities to
require the surrender of unsound food for the purpose of destruction, as the object sought
would be attained by regulations to be made by the Local Government Board under the
Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Act, 1907.
(5) That the sanitary authority should have power to require the surrender of offensive
trade refuse, and to arrange for its temporary storage and its systematic removal at the
reasonable cost of the producer.
[A course I had advocated for many vears, it being only reasonable, seeing that the
producers can require the sanitary authority to remove such refuse from premises on payment.]
(6) That the business of marine stores should be scheduled as an offensive business
within the meaning of Section 19 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, as had bees
recommended by the Kensington Sanitary Authority, upon my advice, to the late Metropolitan
Board of Works and also to the County Council, and that the same course should
be adopted as respects the other businesses mentioned—those of seller of fried fish and fish
curer.
(7) That it was desirable the County Council should be enabled to pay one half of the
salaries of female health visitors.
A valuable report on this subject was prepared by the Infectious Diseases Sub-Committee
which having been approved by the Public Health Committee and adopted by the Ccuncil was
forwarded to the London County Council as a reply to the communication of their Public Health
Committee (vide Minutes of the Council, October 22nd, 1897, page 546).