London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Bethnal Green 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
93
At a suitable interval after the vacation of
premises, a return visit has been made by the
District Sanitary Inspector to ascertain the new user
of such premises and in five instances fresh overcrowding
has been discovered. All these cases were
discovered prior to "the appointed day" (1st
October, 1938). It will of course be possible to take
action as regards any similar discoveries in the
future.
For comparison, the following table, similar to that published in my Annual Reports for the past two years is given in respect of the overcrowding remaining in the Borough at the end of 1938:—
| Degree of overcrowding (expressed in X times the legal standard) | Rooms required | Total families | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||
| Over 3 | 6 | – | 3 | 4 | – | – | 13 |
| „ 2 | 36 | 32 | 121 | 17 | 2 | – | 208 |
| From 1½ to 2 | 50 | 257 | 128 | 68 | 5 | – | 514 |
| „ 1 to 1½ | 128 | 792 | 637 | 144 | 5 | 2 | 1,708 |
| Segregation | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | 5 |
| Totals | 231 | 1081 | 889 | 233 | 12 | 2 | 2,448 |
PREVENTION OF OVERCROWDING
measurement of rooms
The appointed day in respect of the Borough was
fixed for the 1st October. 1938, on which date certain
provisions of the Housing Act 1936 came into force.
These related to overcrowding becoming an offence,
and to the necessity for a statement, amongst other
things, of the permitted number of persons in respect
of any dwelling being entered in the rent book
relating to such premises. It was therefore necessary
previously to complete the measuring up of all
rooms occupied in the Borough for dwelling purposes.