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The conclusions arrived at in the use of the above Table are expressed by reporting that the
area adjoining an underground room is too narrow by 1, 2 or 3 ft. as the case may be, and the use
of this formula has led owners of houses to feel they are being required to set back a footway with
which they cannot interfere. If, however, it were thought desirable, the report on an area as 2 ft.
too narrow could be converted by inspection of the figures in the same Table into a report stating
that the point X, and consequently the top of the window were too low in relation to the footway
by 13 inches. The terms used would then bring home the fault to the room and its window, and
would no longer suggest the setting back of a public road.
Procedure for the Remedy of Defects.—In the case of houses or underground rooms
represented with a view to Closing Orders being made, the owners concerned are afforded the
opportunity of appearing before the Housing Sub-Committee before the action to be taken is
decided upon. Fifteen houses were closed, and the use of underground rooms as sleeping places
in 52 houses was prohibited by Closing Orders under Section 17 of the Housing, Town Planning,
etc., Act, 1909. Defects were remedied in 21 houses in response to notices served under the Public
Health (London) Act, 1891, in 13 houses as the result of negotiations without the service of
statutory notices, and in 1 house in response to a notice service under Section 15 of the Housing,
Town Planning, etc., Act, 1891. In two cases premises were vacated after the service of notices
under the Public Health Act, and no works were carried out.
House to House Inspection.—In addition to the inspections which have been carried out
with the formalities required by the Housing (Inspection of District) Regulations, 1910, routine
house to house inspections have been made during the year for the purpose of detecting and
securing the remedy of sanitary defects. Excluding the inspections of registered lodging houses for
the purpose of enforcing the lodging house bye-laws, the total number of house to house inspections
proper amounted to 2,339.
Water Supply in Lodging Houses.—In response to notices served under the London
County Council General Powers Act, 1907, an additional supply of water was provided in 57 lodging
houses above the level of the ground floor. In the greater number of cases in addition to the water
tap a sink was also supplied.
Customs and Inland Revenue Acts,—Under these Acts 152 certificates were granted by
the Medical Officer of Health during the year, in respect to 152 tenements in 77 houses containing
a total number of 168 separate dwellings.