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21
Legal Proceedings.
During the year, legal proceedings were taken by the Council in
143 cases, for the enforcement of various Acts, by-laws, regulations,
etc., administered by the Health Department. A summary is set out
below, and further details will be found in the sections dealing with
the respective matters at the pages stated.
Cases Page No.
Public Health (London) Act, 1936 141 21, 22
Food and Drugs Act, 1955 1 36
National Assistance Acts 1 45
143
Fines totalling £10 0s. 0d. were imposed in connection with these
Proceedings, and £30 5s. 0d. costs were awarded to the Council.
Public Health (London) Act, 1936.
The provisions of this Act in regard to Nuisances continued to
afford the main means whereby the remedy of insanitary conditions
found in dwelling houses could be secured.
During the year, 1,882 Intimation Notices (relating to 1,440
Premises) and 946 Statutory (Nuisance) Notices (relating to 806
Premises) were served. The high proportion of Statutory to Intimation
Notices shows the continued difficulty, referred to in previous
reports, of securing the remedy of these conditions. Furthermore, it
was found necessary to refer 271 cases to the Council's Solicitor
with instructions to take steps, by legal proceedings if necessary, to
enforce compliance with Statutory Notices. In 131 of these cases a
warning letter from the Solicitor had the desired effect. In the
remaining 140 cases, however, summonses had to be issued. As a
result, Nuisance Orders were made by the Court in 34 instances. The
remaining 106 summonses were ultimately withdrawn, the Notices
having been complied with subsequent to the issue of the summonses.
In 19 cases action to enforce compliance with Nuisance Orders
had to be taken, and the Council carried out the work in default
of the persons on whom the Orders were made. In those cases, the
Council were entitled to recover the cost of the works from those
Persons, and accounts were accordingly rendered to them.
During the year defective conditions in 1,359 houses were
remedied—653 by owners following the service of Intimation Notices;
687 by owners following the service of Statutory Notices, and the
Council's workmen entered and did work in default of the owners
on 19 occasions.
Dustbins.
Procedure with regard to the service of notices requiring the
provision of dustbins has been simplified with the passing of the
London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1954. The notice is
served upon the owner, and he has a right of appeal to the Court.
information as to these rights is always included when notice is served.